


In the Darkness is the Light

by slashawaybabe



Category: So Weird, Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2015-03-04
Packaged: 2018-02-21 06:31:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2458316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashawaybabe/pseuds/slashawaybabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty-eight year old Fiona Phillips has spent the better part of her life in search of answers as to what happened the night her father was killed. Ever since a near-death experience during which she encountered her father’s spirit, she has been desperate to understand the final words she heard from her father before her rescue. She has dedicated her life to investigating the supernatural and finding answers. Along the way, she must deal with her concerned family and two hunters she meets on the road. But the answers she finds may not be what she had expected as she finally comes face to face with the very thing she has been looking for nearly twenty years.<br/>[So Weird/Supernatural Crossover]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Episode 1: Life Is So Weird

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted So Weird to get the wrap-up it deserved. So I decided, since Disney doesn't want to do anything about it, I would write my own interpretation of Fi's journey into the supernatural and her quest to figure out what really happened to her father. I've attempted to stick as close as possible to the information I could find from the writers of the original plans for season 3 before they scrapped it to make it peppy. Then I added the Winchesters because why the hell not?  
> I really hope you guys enjoy this. I hope to make it a weekly installment, like an actual season, and currently I have the layouts for twenty "episodes".  
> For the So Weird crowd: This is set roughly present day - 2014/2015ish - because I didn't want to think about how to write about the year 2001 to tack it on to the end of the actual series.  
> For the Supernatural crowd: I started planning this before season nine ended so let's all just pretend season nine ended the way the Winchesters wanted and there's no Demon!Dean because I wouldn't know how to deal with that without taking too much away from the So Weird part. So from about 9x22 on, it's divergent from the actual canon of the show.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiona Phillips is a journalist and blogger - owner of the blog Life is So Weird - who travels the country looking for any clues about what happened to her father almost twenty-five years ago. She investigates the death of a man and finds the case eerily familiar to what she knows of her father's mysterious death. While trying to get some answers, she runs into two men also looking into the man's death - FBI Agents in a black Chevy. Fi believes these two men know a lot more about what happened than they are willing to admit.

The dark-colored Bronco sped down the rain-slick highway, heading out of town. The radio came in choppy and full of static, trying to pick up a station.

The driver was barely watching the road, his eyes busily darting from the mirrors to the glow of his cellphone. He knew he had to get out of there, and fast. He could feel his heart pounding, the sound reverberating in his ears.

He steered along the curves of the road, constantly looking in the rearview mirror to be sure there was no one else on the road. The road behind him was empty but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being followed- that someone was out there in the darkness, watching his every move.

The static of the radio broke away and a song came through.

He stared at the radio in fear for a few seconds as he heard the words.

_“I've seen your face before my friend. But I don't know if you know who I am… Well, I was there and I saw what you did. I saw it with my own two eyes.”_

His boot pressed the accelerator more, trying to escape the feeling whatever was after him was closing in. His thumb pressed the call button, his eyes darting from the side mirrors to the rearview mirror.

_C’mon. C’mon._

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel anxiously, hoping for an answer.

 _“Hey! You’ve reached Deb. I’m away from my phone right now, but leave a message and I’ll call you back”_ **beep**!

He sighed, his voice cracking a little, “Deb? Honey, it’s me. Please - please pick up. I - I don’t want to do this over the phone. Deb, please pick up-” He let out another long sigh, trying not to sound so broken and scared, “I love you, Deb. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I-”

Suddenly there was a flash of light and the Bronco swerved off the road and headlong into an ash tree on an embankment at the side of the road. The driver’s lifeless body slammed against the steering wheel, the horn blaring in the darkness.

The radio flickered in and out of range, ending up a garble of static melting into the wail of the car horn.

\--

In a dumpy little motel room somewhere in northern Nebraska, a young woman was sitting slumped in bed, wearing an over-sized sweatshirt and boxers, typing away on her tablet. The sudden chirp of her phone drew her attention away from her work.

She pushed errant strands of hair from her face and grabbed the phone off the bedside table, tapping the screen to reveal a message notification bubble. **< Unknown>**

“Unknown?” She hadn't received any messages like this in years.

She opened it, curious about this mysterious unknown sender.

_Car accident in Faith, SD. You should check it out._

Attached to the message is a news bulletin, showing what appeared to be a police crime scene photo of the mangled car and the body inside.

Sitting up, she started rubbing the sleep from her eyes and pulled up her blog to add a new post for her readers.

_Duty calls. Six hour drive to South Dakota tonight. Let’s hope this leads to some answers._

\--

The dusty black Chevy pulled up to the line of police cars on the side of the highway. The driver killed the engine before sliding out in unison with his passenger.

They approached an officer trying to get rid of a nosy journalist. Her phone was out and poised to record his commentary until she saw the two tall men in dark suits walking up, looking very official. They flashed their federal credentials. “Agent Murdock, Agent Stiles.”

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear nervously and conceded her defeat, slipping her phone back into her purse with a sigh. “Thank you for your time, Lieutenant.”

The two agents gave her small smiles and she walked away, heels clacking on the asphalt.

The lieutenant nodded, “Thanks. Lieutenant Jayne.” He scratched his stubbly jaw absentmindedly, “Didn't realize they’d called in the feds for a drunk.”

Agent Stiles pursed his lips, pulling out a pen and notepad from his coat, “So you think this was just some drinking accident?”

The lieutenant nodded back, “Oh yeah. Drinking and speeding and he wrapped his car around this tree. Open and shut. Happens every so often, but nothing that needs an investigation.”

Agent Murdock cut in, looking over in the direction of the mangled car, “Have you notified the next of kin?”

“Yeah, sent one of my men over there once we pulled the wallet out and got ID.”

One of the younger officers walked up, his eyes darting between the agents and his superior, Uh, sir? There’s some reporter here who wants a word with you.”

“Sorry, Agents. I have to go fight off this vulture now. Can’t stand reporters.”

The lieutenant followed the younger officer.

Once the police were out of earshot, the two agents looked at each other.

The shorter man raised an eyebrow. “You really think this is anything more than just an accident?”

“I don’t know, Dean. All I know is it can’t be a coincidence that this is the third accident like this that we've come across in the last couple months.”

Dean nodded, straightening his tie a little, “Yeah - well, you can go talk to the family then, I’ll go see what the ME has to say.”

They walked back towards the car and drove off.

\--

The taller man sighed as Dean drove off, leaving him at the front porch of the latest victim. He adjusted his coat and rapped his knuckles against the door.

There was some shuffling and two women’s voice and then the front door opened.

A middle-aged blonde woman with puffy red eyes looked up at him, “Hello?”

He flashed his credentials and a sympathetic smile, “Mrs. Stewart? Agent Stiles.”

She nodded a little, looking exhausted from all the crying she had obviously been doing, “The police were just here. I don’t know what else I can tell you.”

He turned on the charm, looking down at her with puppy eyes, “I’m just here to ask you a few quick questions about your husband, ma’am. It'll be quick.”

She let him in, leading him through the living room, past a couple of well-worn sofas and a litter-box. They walked into the kitchen, which was just as dated as the living room, and found the journalist from the scene of the accident was sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hands.

The moment they locked eyes, the young woman tensed up. She gave a polite smile to her hostess, smoothing her skirt nervously with the palms of her hands, “I think I have everything I need, Mrs. Stewart. Thank you for your time and I’m sorry for your loss.”

The older woman looked surprised and a little confused as the journalist slipped her purse over her shoulder and left without another word. She looked over at the agent, forcing a smile, “Would you like tea?”

“Oh, no, thank you. I’d like to make this as brief as possible for you, Mrs. Stewart. You've been through a lot.”

She nodded, pouring herself some tea and sitting across from him.

“Why don’t you tell me a bit about your husband? Did he give you any idea where he was going last night?”

“Norman loved late night drives. He would drive around to clear his head - it helped him sleep better. He’d never tell me where he was going - just ‘out for a drive’.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes, looking down at her wedding ring.

“And last night…”

“He called me.” She looked up at him with a surprised look on her face, as if she had just remembered, and she stood up to go fetch her phone. “I- I had a message on my phone this morning… Oh god.”

He nodded a little, “What did he say? Did he sound upset?”

She pulled up the voicemail and played it so he could hear.

He looked up when he heard the crash at the end of the voicemail, his brow furrowed. “What could your husband have been so worried about that he called you?”

Mrs. Stewart shook her head, “He was always going on - about the things in the dark, how there was so much that I didn’t know about that I should be afraid of. I always thought he was just quirky - aliens and Bigfoot. Silly stuff, you know?”

Agent Stiles gave her a little smile and nodded, “Yeah. Silly stuff.”

\--

Dean looked down at the body of Norman Stewart, laying out on the table, his eyes following the lines of stitching over the man’s chest that tried to close the wounds. He looked over at the medical examiner, “So you’re saying he wasn’t killed when he slammed into that tree?”

The medical examiner looked over the chart, pursing her lips a little. “No, actually. Mr. Stewart was dead before the crash. He died of something else.”

“Like a heart attack?”

She looked up at him, smiling a little, “See, that’s the problem. Mr. Stewart was in great shape for a man his age. I couldn’t find any defects that would have such a sudden death and the damage from the accident complicates things. I’ve still got a few more tests to run though.”

Dean pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Please, don’t hesitate to call if you do find anything.”

She smiled a little, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "And if I don’t find something, Agent Murdock?”

He let out a soft chuckle, “Yeah…”

There was a knock at the door and one of the assistants poked his head in, “Dr. Rogers? There’s some reporter here to talk to you-”

The medical examiner nodded, pulling off her gloves, “Thank you, Thomas. I’m sorry, Agent. I have to see what this is about.” She smiled at him playfully. “I hope I’ll have something for you later.”

Dean just smiled and peeled off his gloves, holding the door for her and following her out.

Just as he reached the lobby, he saw the reporter in question - the very same young woman in the pencil skirt from the crime scene that morning. His phone chirped and he brought it up to his ear, “Sam?”

\--

The black Impala pulled up to the curb in front of the Stewart house. Sam opened the passenger door and slid in.

Dean looked over at him, hoping for some clues as to what they were dealing with, “Any news from the family?”

Sam nodded, “So, get this - our dead guy? Wife got a voicemail last night just before the crash - he thought he was being followed when he died.”

“Followed by what?”

Sam gave a little shrug, “Who knows? This guy was into everything from UFO watching to mediums to Bigfoot.”

Dean sighed, heading off down the road. “Great. A whackjob.”

Sam scowled a little, looking up at him, “Hey - most people would think we’re whackjobs for what we do. Maybe this is legit. Maybe Norman really knew something that got him killed. You find anything out?”

“Well, it turns out our dead guy was dead before he hit the tree.”

Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Just like-”

“Just like the other dead guys in the last few towns,” Dean nodded.

“So there is something going on here.”

“Yeah - and it’s getting attention. You know who I ran into at the ME’s? That little reporter lady from the scene of the crash.”

Sam sat up a little. “I saw her at the Stewarts’ house too. She left when she saw me.”

“What was she doing there?”

Sam gave another little shrug. “She must’ve been asking questions. She and the wife were having tea when I walked in. You think she knows something?”

“What could she know? I mean, this looks like a car crash at best.”

\--

The journalist sat in the driver’s seat of her Jeep Cherokee. She was parked across the street from the bar where the black Impala was parked, waiting to see any sign of the two men.

She had to figure out who these two were and what they were doing butting in on her case.

She looked down at the phone in her hand and the half-written blog post on the screen.

_This case looks like everything I've read. The man died before his car even hit the tree. ME thinks it's some defect but I've seen these accidents too many times to know that it's gotta be something else._

_But I just don't know what it could be._

She sighed and resumed typing.

 _Any suggestions?_ **enter**.

She watched the screen, elbow resting on the window and holding her head up.

\--

Sam looked over the files Dean got from the medical examiner's office. "So far this guy doesn't look like he had any ailments that would've killed him- no heart problems, no brain aneurysm, nothing..."

Dean took a big bite of the greasy cheeseburger he had ordered, tucking the food into his cheek to allow him to talk. "What do you think it is?"

Sam shot his brother a disgusted look, rolling his eyes, "Real classy, dude."

This only made Dean give him a wide smile, his cheeks puffed up with food.

Sam shook his head, "I don't know. Can't be a ghost- moves around too much. Demon, maybe? But why?"

"Demon deal?"

Sam smirked, "You didn't see this guy's house. Nothing about it says demon deal."

Dean took another big bite. "I don't know. Wife say anything about where he was headed when he crashed?"

Sam opened a beer. "Nope. Said he would always go out late to clear his head, never really told her where he went." He took a long swallow.

Dean’s phone chirped from inside his pocket and he groaned, setting his burger aside. The number wasn’t one he recognized. “Hello?”

It was the medical examiner. “Agent Murdock? It’s Kathy Rogers… I got some of those test results back and I was wondering if you wanted to stop by while I reviewed them?”

Even Sam could see his brother was less than pleased by this call. "Sure, Dr. Rogers. My partner and I can stop by your office.”

Dean could almost hear how much she was smiling over the phone, “I’ll be waiting.”

Sam was smiling in that mocking way little brothers seem to smile. “New girlfriend?”

\--

The journalist was reading over some of the messages received since her last blog posting. Most of the messages were well-meaning but incorrect assumptions of ghosts. But one - from the mysterious <Unknown> \- was different.

_Think demonic._

She frowned a little, trying to understand the message. _Demonic?_ she typed back.

Her phone pinged again.

_Think, Fi. I know you can do it._

She was pulled back into reality when she noticed the two agents from that morning walk out of the bar and back to their car. She set her phone aside and turned the key.

\--

Dean looked over the car to Sam, “You know, the more I think about it, the more it doesn’t make sense. What the hell does this journalist care about about some guy who hit a tree in the middle of the night?”

Sam slid into the passenger’s seat, tucking his hair behind his ear, “Maybe it’s some local piece - tragic community loss or something like that.”

“I don’t know. Seems sketchy, that’s all.”

They headed back to see what the medical examiner had for them.

She was more than happy to see Dean again, smiling up at him as she pulled open the freezer drawer containing Norman Stewart. “Hello Agent Murdock, good to see you again.”

He nodded to Sam, “This is my partner, Agent Stiles.”

She smiled, not really giving Sam much attention.

Dean gave her a curt smile. “You said you had the test results?”

She nodded, “Oh, of course. You should see it- I don't understand what killed him but it wasn't that crash. Let me go get the files.” She stepped out, leaving Sam and Dean standing unsupervised in the middle of the room.

Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair as he went over the files again. “There’s gotta be something in here that will tell us what’s going on.”

Frustrated with the lack of leads, the elder brother grabbed the file from Sam’s hand, “Let me see that.” He scanned the pages before stopping on one.

“Wait a minute…”

Sam leaned over, trying to see what was so intriguing, “What?”

He just gave Sam a big grin, shoving the files back into Sam’s hands, “What’s something that comes out in the dark and kills people?”

The blank look he got in return told him he was being a little too vague.

He rolled his eyes. “Look.” He showed Sam a photo from the crime scene.

Sam looked down at the picture and saw the sigil scratched into the headrest of the driver’s seat.

“But who summoned it?”

“Someone who wanted Norm here to quit playing Ghostbusters.”

They put the pages back in the file and turned to the door just as Dr. Rogers was coming back.

“Agent Murdock?”

Dean smiled apologetically, following Sam out.

\--

Fi was in her Jeep again, slouched to avoid being spied on as she read every entry on demons she could find on her tablet. She was just about to give up when she came across an encyclopedia entry about demons that lurk in the darkness, invisible but for their shadows.

“Daeva?”

She flipped over to her blog, opening a new post.

_Has anyone heard of a daeva? I think it may be what I’ve been looking for._

Her inbox pinged with a notification almost immediately.

\--

The Impala pulled into the parking lot of the motel they were staying at. Both men got out and went around back.

Sam opened the Impala’s trunk and loosened his tie, surveying the weapons they had with them.

Dean pulled out a couple flare guns. “Think we can scare ‘em off with these again?”

Sam nodded, making sure the shotguns were loaded. “We have to figure out whatever’s summoning these things too.”

“We can ha-” he looked down the street. “Hey, is that that nosy journalist chick?”

Sam followed Dean’s line of sight. She was pulling out of a nearby parking lot in her Jeep.

“Wonder where she’s headed.”

Dean scoffed, turning his attention back to the arsenal in the trunk, “Probably found some hot story that’s gonna be her ticket to a Pulitzer.”

\--

Fi drove a few miles downtown and found herself in a run-down part of town. She tugged the sleeves of her sweater to shield her arms from the chilly night air.

A young woman in a soft pink cardigan and grey pencil skirt approached her, looking out of place in the sketchy neighborhood. "You Fi?"

Fi nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. “You’re Unknown?”

Before the young woman could say anything else her eyes flicked over to solid black and she smirked.

Fi took a step back but the demon girl grabbed her arm.

“Fiona Phillips, always butting in where you don’t belong. Shouldn’t you have learned your lesson already?”

Fi pursed her lips, trying to stay strong and not show fear. “Tell me what happened.”

The girl smiled, “Some jerk like you, sticking his nose in other people’s business, and he had to die. That’s why they called me in. I’m the cleaner, if you will. No witnesses.”

Fi watched in terror as the girl began chanting in some ancient language.

The shadows started coming out of the darkness, black vaguely humanoid shape blobs creeping closer and closer as the demon chanted.

Suddenly the bright headlights of the Impala came around the corner and the daevas scattered to escape the light. The car came to a stop several feet away and Sam jumped out, reciting an exorcism.

_“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica…”_

The demon began to choke, coughing up her smoky black form.

Dean joined in, chanting with Sam as they moved closer, _“Ergo, draco maledicte. Ecclesiam tuam securi tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos.”_

With that, the demon smoke erupted out of the girl’s body and Dean rushed over to check on her.

Fi frowned, staring up at Sam with glossy tear-filled eyes as he approached her to see if she was okay.

“This was the only way I was going to get answers!”

Sam opened his mouth but she pushed him away, storming off. She got in her Jeep and drove off, wiping her eyes furiously.

\--

Sam was leaning against the Impala’s trunk when Dean walked out of the hospital. “She gonna be okay?”

Dean nodded a little, “She’s pretty shaken up but I think she’ll be okay. What happened to Barbara Walters?”

“Who knows? She pushed me away and ran off.”

\--

Fi was huddled up in a motel room, ready to break down and mourn that this was the closest she had ever been to finding the answers she needed and it was ruined.

Her phone pinged with another alert and she tapped the screen.

It was a message. **< Unknown>**.

She tapped the icon hesitantly.

_I would never hurt you._

She frowned, but before she could reply there was another message.

_Chesterfield, Indiana._


	2. Episode 2: Stolen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiona gets another lead of something mysterious happening in a Spiritualist community where members are reporting the loss of their psychic abilities. When she arrives in town, she finds more than one familiar face there - the two men in the black Chevy from South Dakota are there too. She tries to figure out what's going on in town and who these two men are, all while reassuring her family she's okay and she'll come home soon.

The bar was busy that night. People were pairing off all across the room, over drinks at the bar and grinding against each other on the dancefloor.

A blonde woman was sitting at the bar, one of the very few single people scattered about the place. She watched the ice slowly watering down her drink as she stirred it with the decorative umbrella, letting out a very bored sigh.

“Excuse me?” The voice came from behind her.

She jumped a little and looked up , flipping her bangs out of her face.

The woman standing next to her was tall for a woman and pretty. Very pretty. She was dressed in knee-high combat boots, a floral crop-top and a tight black skirt and sporting a curly asymmetric pixie cut.

She shook her head when she realized how bad she’d been staring at the poor woman, “Sorry. Sorry.” _Smooth._

“It’s fine. I was just wondering if I could sit here.” Her smile was to die for.

“Sure,” the blonde stammered, flustered. “I’m Ava.”

The other woman smiled as they shook hands, “Max. So, you new to these parts, Ava?”

\--

She paced back and forth in the small motel room just outside Indianapolis, holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder and a carton of takeout in her free hand. “I’m fine. You really don’t have to check up on me all the time, y’know.” She pushed the curtain aside to look out into the parking lot.

The voice on the other end of the phone sighed. “I know, doesn’t mean I don’t worry about my baby sister. Especially when you drive around the country all alone.”

“ _Jack_ , I’m almost thirty,” she smirked as she set her dinner aside. “I’ve been doing this for a while now.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier on me and Mom. We just want you to be safe out there. Wherever ‘there’ is this week.”

She smiled a little, holding the phone in her hand again, “ _Indiana_. And I know. I’m careful, I promise.”

Jack pleaded, “Just- can you _try_ and make it home every once in a while? I know it would mean a lot to Mom.”

“I’ll try, Jack. I’ve just got a lot on my plate right now.” She looked to her bed, sighing, “I’ve gotta go. Duty calls.”

Before she could hang up on him, he said, “We love you, Fi.”

She smiled and the weight of how much she really missed being home hit her hard, “I love you guys too. Bye, Jack.”

After hanging up, she slipped her phone back into her purse.

There was a knock at her door. She opened the door, smiling at the bespectacled man on her doorstep.

“Hey Fi.”

\--

Fi sat in the driver’s seat of her Jeep early the next morning, staring down at her tablet and drumming her nails on the plastic edge. The words on the screen stared back at her.

_Does anyone know anything about psychics/mediums?_   
_I’m headed to a town that’s a hub of psychic ability - there are dozens of mediums and psychics here._

She posted her little rambling and clicked over to the message from her mysterious penpal again.

_The mediums need your help._

She scowled, “Why though?”

She set her tablet aside and pulled out of the motel parking lot, heading down the road towards Chesterfield.

These vague messages were starting to be more of an annoyance than any help.

\--

Sam pulled the car into the lot of a shady motel, parking close to the rooms before tapping the snoring lump that was Dean.

“Hmm?” He lifted his head, looking around.

“We made it.”

He looked out the window, “So where’s Camp Chesterfield?” He made a face, “Even the name sounds like it should be the compound where some freaky cult lives.”

“We’re at the motel. Camp Chesterfield is right down the road. Let’s just check in, grab some coffee, and figure out what’s going on here.”

Dean sighed, grumbling, “Finally have my own bed and we’re back to living out of motels…”

Sam smirked, going to grab their bags.

\--

Fi knocked on the door, hoping this was the right place.

The door opened and a balding man in his fifties wearing ill-fitting jeans and a grubby t-shirt stood in the doorway, staring at her.

She smiled cordially, “Mr. Raymond? _Patrick_ Raymond? It’s me. Fi Phillips.”

He eyed her suspiciously, trying to figure out whether or not they knew each other.

“Fi?” The name sounded familiar.

She added, “We met in Hope Springs, Colorado - about fifteen years ago? You helped me talk to my father?”

He nodded slowly, remembering their first meeting, “Oh, yes. Well, I’m a little busy at the moment.”

She shook her head, “I didn’t come for a reading, Mr. Raymond. I know you don’t do that anymore.”

He sighed, “Then you know I’m moving.”

She nodded, “I just came to ask you a few questions about what happened a week ago... When you lost your abilities.”

“I don’t know what I can tell you…”

“Anything would help, Mr. Raymond. It’s happening to others too.”

He nodded and led her inside. “Please, sit. Make yourself comfortable. Coffee?”

“Oh, no thank you.” She followed him to the living room, sitting on the couch and digging her phone out of her bag so she could record their conversation.

There was a text on the screen: _It was good seeing you. RO_

Fi smiled a little and sent him a message back while Mr. Raymond was getting himself some coffee.

Mr. Raymond came out with his coffee and sat down.

She held her phone out, poised to record him. “When did you first notice your abilities were gone?”

He sighed, stirring the sugar in, “I woke up and I just felt _empty_ , I guess. I usually feel the other side around me. Faintly but I could always feel spirits.”

She nodded, “Did anything happen before that? Anything you suspect might have been what made your powers stop?”

He shook his head, taking a sip of coffee, “I was doing readings before that all week. I had a few weird readings but it happens so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Weird how?”

“Well this one woman came in wanting to talk to her late husband. But I couldn’t reach him. I kept feeling like someone was keeping me from butting in. I felt _unwelcome_ \- it was very uncomfortable.”

She nodded, “So you think maybe something from the other side could have done this?”

He sighed, taking another sip, “I honestly don’t know, Fiona.” He looked up at her, smiling a little, “But I have a feeling you’re the one who’ll find out what’s behind all this. You’re a smart and very persistent young woman.”

She smiled, “Thank you.” She scribbled her number down on a scrap of paper from her purse, “Here’s my number. If you think of anything, please call me.”

He took the paper from her, “I will. You be careful.”

“I will.” She slipped her purse over her shoulder with a smile and headed out to her Jeep.

\--

Dean’s phone rang on the bedside table.

He rolled over, grumbling under his breath, and grabbed the phone. “Dean.”

The voice on the other end huffed a little, “Dean Winchester, don’t you sass me. I need your help.”

He sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, “Missouri?”

He could almost hear the smirk on her face, “Yes, me, sleepy-head. I know it’s late - but I need your help. You and Sam both.”

“What’s wrong? You okay?” He frowned, looking at the clock. 1:34 in the morning.

She nodded, “I’m fine. But some of my associates - other mediums - they’ve been telling me something’s after people like me.”

He tried to clear his throat so he wasn’t so hoarse, “Something? Something like what?”

“You think if I knew what it was I’d be calling you? All I know is two of my friends can’t feel the other side anymore. Like something took their abilities.”

“So someone’s making you guys just like everyone else? Where is this?”

“Camp Chesterfield, Indiana.”

\--

Fi found herself on a futon in the middle of a small apartment just outside Camp Chesterfield the next day, comforting the apartment’s owner.

“If you’ll just tell me what you can remember, Max…”

The girl just sobbed. “I was at this bar - Montey’s. I don’t know what happened. I just know, what when I woke up the next morning, I felt awful. I’ve never felt this empty before.”

Fi gave her a sympathetic frown. “Do you remember anything about last night?”

Before either of them could say anything else, the doorbell rang and Fi got up to answer it.

She opened the front door and saw the two men from South Dakota standing there. This time they were dressed in casual jeans and flannel, like they had been when she high-tailed it out of South Dakota.

“You again?” The three of them said in unison.

**slam!**

She shut the door in their faces. Why are they always around now?

Dean looked up at Sam, an unimpressed look on his face. “I don’t know who she is. I don’t know what her deal is. But I don’t like her.”

Sam sighed, knocking on the door again. “Please, it’s Sam and Dean Winchester. We’re friends of Missouri Moseley’s. We just want to help.”

The front door opened slowly, this time it was Max who answered. She looked relieved, smiling a little, “You know Missouri?”

\--

Fi managed to sneak out of the apartment without Max or the Winchesters noticing and headed back to her Jeep.

She pulled her phone out when she sat in the driver’s seat, opening a blank post for her blog.

_Who are Sam and Dean Winchester?_

_I’ve run into these guys more times than I’d care to._ **enter**

She set her phone aside and slid the key into the ignition.

\--

Sam and Dean walked out to the Impala after they finished talking to Max.

Dean opened his door, shaking his head, “I wonder what that nosy reporter chick wanted with this… we’re pretty far from South Dakota.”

Sam shrugged, sliding into his seat, “I don’t know. The only thing similar between the two cases is us.” He snickered, “Maybe she’s got a crush on you, dude.”

“You’re hilarious, you know that?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

\--

Sam pored over the books in the library, looking for any clues about what could be after the mediums.

Dean looked up from across the table where he was pretending to read, “Hey you remember how the psychic chick said she hooked up with some girl at the bar?”

Closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh, the younger Winchester said, “Please don’t follow that question with something gross.”

His older brother scoffed at the notion that anyone could think so little of him, “I’m being serious.”

“What about it?”

Dean grinned, “What if it’s the girl? What if she did something freaky?”

Sam looked up from the books, actually impressed by the theory.

\--

Fi opened her blog to find tons of messages about the Winchesters in her inbox. She started opening them, hoping she could learn something useful.

_Sam and Dean saved my life when I was a kid. They are the best at what they do._

She started typing back a reply. _What exactly do they do?_ **send**

_They’re good people. They know their stuff. I owe them my life. - Charlie_

Fi sighed. _Maybe these guys could be useful_. But the real question was whether or not they could be trusted.

_I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for them. They saved me and my baby. - M_

She read over the others, trying to figure out who these guys were exactly and why she was seeing so much of them lately.

But, as much as she was hesitant to blindly trust strangers, the stories were telling her that the Winchesters were well-versed in dealing with the supernatural.

She leaned back in her seat to mull over the idea of seeking them out.

\--

Back at the motel room, Dean rummaged through his duffel for a much needed change of clothes while Sam read over more articles.

“So get this - there’s a creature in Germanic folklore called the nachzehrer. It’s like a weird cross between a vampire and a revenant.”

“That sounds lovely.”

Sam smirked, “And here’s the best part - they suck out souls.” He looked up at his brother to see what he thought.

Dean’s eyebrow shot up, “Souls?”

“Yeah,” Sam’s attention went back to the article, “What do you want to bet this one isn’t stealing the full soul though? Just stealing their mojo.”

“See anything about how to kill one?”

“Says here it’s a lot like a striga - gotta get ‘em while they’re vulnerable. Iron rounds.”

Dean slipped a clean shirt on. “Sounds like a walk in the park. But how’re we gonna find one?”

Sam closed out of the article, “We find a psychic. It’s after them for some reason.”

\--

Patrick headed to Montey’s for one final hurrah before the big move. It would be hard to say goodbye to the place that had been his home for the better part of two decades.

He sat down at the bar with a couple other barflies and ordered a scotch.

The barkeep slid the drink to him before turning to tend to the other patrons.

Patrick nursed his scotch for a while, just relaxing.

There was a soft cough as a woman cleared her throat behind him.

He turned to see an older woman - probably in her mid-forties - standing there with a soft smile on her face.

“Hi there. This seat taken?”

He reached up to smooth his thinning hair, hoping he looked presentable. “No, no. Please, sit.”

She slides onto the stool beside his, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, “I’m Jennifer.”

He smiled, “Patrick.”

She rubbed his forearm, “What’s got you drinking all alone, Patrick?”

“Oh I’m just- I’m saying my goodbyes. Moving on to better things.”

She smiled, “That sounds like it calls for a real celebration…”

\--

The Impala pulled into the parking lot behind Montey’s.

Dean double-checked his Desert Eagle to make sure a round was already chambered.

“You really think this is the place to look?”

He looked up at Sam and nodded, “Hell yeah, this son of a bitch probably gets ‘em good and liquored up and when they don’t suspect a thing - bam.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Well I hope you have a plan, we can’t exactly shoot someone in a bar full of people, Dean.”

“Would you just trust me on this?”

\--

Fi picked up her phone when she heard the ping of another notification from her blog.

**< Unknown>**.

_It’s not safe here. Whatever was controlling the daevas knows you’re in town. Leave before it finds you._

She pursed her lips _, typing a message back. Leave? Now?_

_Now, Fi. Please._

She frowned and grabbed her belongings, heading out to the Jeep parked outside her motel room. She typed away in a new post.

_ Things are getting too serious in Indiana. _

\--

Jennifer smiled as she led Patrick out of the bar, kissing him and pulling him towards the empty corner of the parking lot. “I’m really sorry, Patrick..”

He frowned, “Sorry? For what?”

She looked up at him, “For what I’m going to have to do… You really shouldn’t have talked to that girl earlier.”

“Girl?”

“That Phillips girl. It’s all over town. And now, boss says I’ve got to teach you a lesson...”

Sam and Dean jumped out at them, guns trained on the woman.

She stared at them, eyes wide and a smile stretching its way across her face, “Winchesters, as I live and breathe. Never thought I’d actually meet you two.”

Dean smirked, “Yeah well, you won’t be doing too much living and breathing when we get done with you.”

She turned to look him in the eyes and Patrick took that as his sign to run, “Dean, right? I know I won’t live forever. But it doesn’t end with me. There’s way too much work to do.”

Sam’s brow furrowed, “Work?”

She looked over at him, “Oh yeah. We’ve all got orders, Sam. This is a very big gig. So kill me, but it doesn’t end here.”

Dean slammed her against the side of the building, pinning her by the neck with his forearm. “What’s going on here?”

She let out a laugh, “You think I’ll tell you?”

He pressed the muzzle of the gun into her ribs, “You will if you don’t want to get shot.”

She smirked, “Go ahead then.”

“Tell us!”

She reached forward and covered his hand with hers, forcing his trigger-finger.

The iron round hit her in the heart and she slumped.

Dean pulled back, letting her drop to the floor. “Son of a bitch!”

\--

Fi made her way down the highway, her eyes darting from the road down to her phone as she dialed.

She pressed ‘send’ and held the phone up to her ear, listening to the purr of the ringback tone.


	3. Episode 3: Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiona seeks out an old friend to help her find some leads that are actually useful. But a third run-in with the Winchesters and Fi's involvement in some suspicious activity makes Dean question if their run-ins are just coincidence or something more.

They walked back out to the Impala with their bags in hand, still confused about the nachzehrer’s ‘suicide by hunter’ at the bar the other night.

Dean opened the trunk and started tossing in their bags, looking over his shoulder at Sam. “When we get back, I am gonna take a long hot shower and hit the sack, and we are not leaving for at least a couple days.” Suddenly his cell started chirping and he fished it out of his pocket with an irritated look on his face, huffing. “Yeah?”

“Hey, Dean! How’re you?”

Sam gave him a look, hoping for a clue as to who was on the other end.

Dean mouthed ‘Garth’ and sighed, turning his focus back to the conversation and scratching his neck absentmindedly, “Hey, man. Just wrapping up a job in Indiana.”

“Oh, awesome. How’s Sam been?” _It was unbelievable how peppy he could be_.

Dean ran his hand down the side of his face, trying not to blow up at poor Garth, “He’s just _peachy_ , Garth. You call for any particular reason or just to shoot the shit?”

There was some fumbling as Garth shuffled papers and held the phone on his shoulder, “Oh, no I was just calling to see if you guys were willing to swing by Texas.”

Dean groaned. _This had better not be some stupid hunt._ “Why?”

\--                     

Fi walked up to the front door, ringing the bell and stepping back. She adjusted her coat. _Cold._ She heard some rustling and footsteps coming closer. The door opened and she couldn’t help but smile. Rebecca hadn’t changed in the slightest.

_Of course not, she’s immortal._

The girl at the door smiled a little, pushing a loose curl from her face. “Fi.” She ushered her inside, closing the door behind them, “I’m glad you could come so quickly.”

Fi stepped inside, taking off her coat and turning to look back at her hostess, “I didn’t know who else to talk to. I feel like I’m hitting roadblocks no matter where I go. I need your help, Rebecca.”

She smiled and hung up Fi’s coat by the door, reaching for her hand and giving it a supportive squeeze, “I don’t know how much help I can be. But I want to help you, in any way I can.”

They walked into the living room and Fi could not help but notice the stacks of boxes everywhere. “Still in the antique business, I see...”

Rebecca nodded, smiling a little, “It’s easy money. Coffee?”

“Thank you.” She settled down on the couch, looking at all the artifacts around the room while Rebecca went to get them some coffee. Her phone pinged with another notification and she pulled it out of her purse, silencing it.

\--

Dean looked over at Sam as they pulled into the quaint little neighborhood off the main drag in town. “You get that file from Garth yet?”

Sam stared at his phone, willing the file to come in faster, “Not yet.” He sighed, looking back over at his brother, “You sure he said _here_?” There were a few minivans parked in driveways and on the street. It seemed pretty vanilla, actually.

“He said he heard from a couple hunters passing through. Something fishy in Nazareth, Texas.”

Sam looked around at the neighborhood and saw the minivans in driveways and the cheery flags hanging on the porch with anthropomorphic sunflowers smiling out at the street. “Just- seems strange anything we’d go looking for would be in this town.”

Dean opened his door, “Yeah, well. It’s not like these things are ever that obvious.”

Nodding a little, Sam followed his lead, getting out and closing the door behind him. “Let’s see what this is.”

His brother had already started walking across the street, headed straight for one of the cookie cutter homes.

As if on cue, Sam’s phone chirped to alert that the file from Garth finished loading. He stopped to open the file, looking over the scans of some old book. “Dean-”

\--

“I just - I don’t know what to do. I keep trying to find answers and every time I think I’m on the right track-” She shrugged her shoulders with a huff, really feeling like a failure.

Rebecca’s brow furrowed and she leaned in a little, “What have you found so far?”

Leaning back into the cushions, Fi started telling her all the things that had been happening. “Well, I’d found a few cases of men who were investigating the paranormal that were killed in mysterious car accidents-”

“Like Rick.”

She nodded, tossing a loose strand of hair back away from her face, “And it turned out some spirit called a daeva was doing the actual killing. But before I could find out what was sending the daevas out to kill people, these fake FBI agents came in and scared them off.”

Rebecca sat up, a little confused, “How do you know they were fake FBI agents?”

“Well I didn’t at the time, but when I went to Indiana to go help that medium - Patrick Raymond - they were there again. This time, though, they told one of the psychics I was talking to that they were Sam and Dean Winchester.”

Rebecca nodded, trying to remember where she’d heard those names before, “I know those names. I’ve heard a lot of people all over the country talk about Sam and Dean. I think they go looking for the paranormal too.”

Fi pursed her lips, filing the new information away for later, “Well that seemed to be enough to get her to trust them. I didn’t stick around too much longer, though.”

“Why not?”

She rummaged around in her purse a bit, pulling out her phone to show Rebecca the message she’d received, telling her to leave Indiana immediately. “That’s when I called you.”

\--

The woman walked into the dining room, smiling at the guests that were spread around the room. “Glad to see everyone could make it to this unofficial book club meeting. I’m sorry to have to call everyone over so suddenly, I just wanted to have one more meeting before tomorrow. Make sure everyone was prepared.”

The other women smiled back, thanking her for her hospitality.

“Can I get anyone anything before we get things started?”

There were a few murmurs of ‘no’ and the women shook their heads. One of the guests spoke up, “Maybe we could start going over the plans for tomorrow?”

Their hostess held up her phone. “I have the instructions right here. Let’s make sure everything’s ready.” She pulled up the file and started reading over what she had been sent, looking up at the counter in the kitchen every so often to ensure that all the materials were present. “Who was bringing the blood?”

A petite brunette raised her hand.

“Thank you, Darlene.”

The meeting was interrupted by a knock on the door.

The women all looked at each other, wondering who that could be.

Their hostess cleared her throat, obviously embarrassed by the interruption, and smiled as she smoothed her skirt, “I’ll go see who’s at the door. Excuse me.”

She walked over and opened the door to see two men in dark suits standing on her porch. “Oh, can I help you?”

They held up their credentials for her and the taller one smiled politely, “Sorry for bothering you, Miss…?”

She made a very unimpressed face, annoyed by their interruption, “Mrs. Maura Hovdey.”

He nodded, “Excuse us, ma’am. We were just wondering if we could ask you some questions.”

She flashed a sympathetic smile, “I’m sorry, agents. This is a bad time. I’ve got company over.”

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am.” They nodded and stepped off the porch.

She closed the door and locked it, sighing with relief.

\--

“There is something, I should probably tell you.”

“What is it? Are you okay?” Fi tensed up, concerned for her friend.

Rebecca just smiled, shaking her head and giving Fi a comforting pat on the arm. “It’s nothing like that, Fi. I promise.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s about you and all of this supernatural stuff.”

Fi raised an eyebrow. This cryptic stuff was starting to get old. _First Unknown and now Rebecca._

Rebecca sighed, looking down at her lap. “I met a man years ago - when I was just a little girl. It was probably … the mid fourteenth century. He was one of the knights of the local lord.”

“How old were you?”

She smirked, “I _looked_ about 7. But he was kind to my family… He was very chivalrous and protective.” Her lips turned up in a wistful smile. “He was a good man…”

“And?”

“And he told me once that he felt his purpose in life was to keep the world safe… To keep the evil in the world from overtaking the good. I like to believe he still does, in another life.”

\--

Sam and Dean walked back across the street to where they’d parked the car.

“That went well…”

Sam smirked, giving him a look, “Well did you really think she was just gonna let us right in?”

“Shut up.” Dean looked over the roof of the Impala at Sam, opening his door, “What did you say they were doing in there?”

Sam slid into the passenger’s seat in time with Dean sliding into the driver’s seat, fishing his phone from his pocket to show Dean the file, “Well this file from Garth shows some sort of summoning ritual. I don’t recognize it so I have to imagine it’s something we haven’t run into before.”

“What could a bunch of Texan housewives be summoning? It’s not exactly like the Devil is that popular around these parts.”

Sam swallowed hard to try and mask his discomfort, “Yeah. Well witches throw a wrench in anything. They don’t necessarily follow social etiquette well. I’m gonna keep looking over this file and see if I can’t figure it out.”

Dean looked less than impressed, “You have fun with that.”

He continued staring at his phone, looking for any hints of what exactly they were summoning and what they wanted to do with it.

They drove a couple towns over to check in at a motel that actually had decent WiFi and get some sleep to recharge.

\--

She leaned against the door, listening to make sure the two men were long gone before she headed back to her guests.

The women looked up to their hostess as she finally walked back into the dining room, waiting to see what happened at the front door.

One of the women piped up, her voice shaking a little, “You don’t think those agents knew what we’re doing, do you?”

A blonde woman huffed, “Oh, Anne. Be serious. This isn’t The X-Files.”

A few other women chuckled nervously at how absurd it sounded.

“Right. Like anyone would expect a bunch of PTA members to be involved in this.”

The hostess cleared her throat. “Ladies. Settle down. I’m sure it was a coincidence more than anything else. For now let’s just concentrate on tomorrow’s big event. Hopefully everyone will be able to make it. Now, Darlene said she would be supplying the blood...”

Darlene nodded, smiling shyly.

She looked over the note on her phone, “... Now who said they were bringing the hemlock?”

One of the younger women waved her hand. “That’s me, Maura.”

“Thank you, darling.” She looked back to her phone, making a note of it. “And who said they’d bring the paint for the sigils?”

\--

The next morning Dean opened his eyes to find Sam already wide awake, scrolling away on his phone. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, his voice gruff, “You get any sleep?”

Sam didn’t give him much attention, “I got enough.”

Rolling his eyes, Dean stood up, cracking his back with a groan. “I miss my mattress.”

This got a little chuckle out of Sam. “So get this - I was looking at the file Garth sent me and I noticed something familiar about it. So I called him up and asked him to send me anything he had on binding rituals and wouldn’t you know-”

He held his phone up so Dean could see the new file Garth sent.

Dean blinked a few times, “What am I supposed to be seeing?”

Sam made a face and pulled his phone back. “It’s a trap for reapers.”

“So you’re saying they want to have their own pet reaper? For what? Reaping whoever beats them at running for PTA president?”

“I don’t know why but that’s the only thing I’m coming up with. They want a reaper for something. Maybe it’s information. Maybe it’s to make the reaper their muscle, I don’t know. But I do know that never ends well.”

“Let’s get dressed and hit the road then.”

\--

Maura smiled, setting out some wine for everyone. “I hope everyone is ready for the big day.”

The other women murmured in agreement, smiling back.

“Wonderful. I’ll get the hors-d’oeuvres and we’ll get started.”

While she was in the kitchen, the other women began stepping up to the table, laying out the various ingredients of the spell.

Maura came back in with a platter of snacks, smiling at her guests, “This is going to go perfectly. I can tell. Is everyone ready?”

They nodded happily. A few of them came over to take some of the hors-d’oeuvres.

“Great.”

They started painting the sigils on a cloth laid out on the floor in the middle of the room.

Maura and a couple of the other ladies began mixing some of the other ingredients together.

“Darlene, honey. You ready?”

The mousy woman nodded, settling down beside the sigils and taking a deep breath.

The other women stood in a circle around her and began chanting.

\--

Dean and Sam were shocked to see several police cars and the coroner’s van in the front yard when they pull up to the house they visited the day before.

“The hell?”

Some women stood huddled together on the porch, sobbing in each other’s arms as they talk to the police. A couple of the coroner’s assistants brought out the covered body, loading it in the back of the van.

Dean slipped his badge into his pocket, getting out and making his way across the street. Sam followed close behind.

They flashed their badges at the police officers, who nodded and backed down.

“Mrs. Hovdey.”

Maura looked up at them, her face streaked with mascara and eyeliner. “I’m terribly sorry, agents, but a dear friend passed away...”

Sam pulled up the reaper trapping spell on his phone, showing her. “We know. Do you ladies mind answering some questions?”

She looked up at him, slack-jawed, mortified that they knew the truth, “Please. Can’t we take this inside? I don’t want anyone to hear.”

Feeling sympathetic, Dean held the front door open and made sure the room was clear before letting the women walk back inside.

\--

Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair to push it out of his face as they walked back out to the car.

Dean just shook his head, loosening his tie a little, “Trying to summon a reaper to ask it questions… In what universe does that sound like a smart idea to anyone?”

“I don’t know, man. But I don’t think they’re gonna be trying anymore summoning now. They killed a woman.”

“They’re all gonna have to deal with the fact that their friend died because of them. Her kids have no mother because of them.” Dean tapped the roof of the Impala, sighing. “Hopefully knowing we know will keep them out of trouble. I don’t think they want us back in their lives.”

They both slid into the Impala, closing the doors in unison.

Dean pulled away from the curb. “You hungry?”

Sam smiled a little, “Sure, man. A goodbye dinner. Then we can pack up and head out.”

They drove down the road, looking for a place to grab dinner.

\--

Fi drove into town, trying to get a sense of where she was supposed to be. It shouldn’t have been so hard to figure directions out in a town that was only a few miles wide, but she was completely turned around. _I am never hear the end of it from Maura._

She stopped at a traffic light, drumming her thumbs on the steering wheel and looking out either window for anything that could show her which way to go. That was when she noticed the Impala, parked in front of a small diner just across the street from her.

The Winchesters. _What were they doing in town?_

She sighed, turning into the parking lot. _Maura could forgive her for being even later - she had to know what these two knew._

She parked quite a-ways from them so as not to be suspicious and walked over to their car.

\--

Dean set his bacon double-cheeseburger down and wiped his mouth with a napkin, “I gotta hit the head.”

Sam nodded, his eyes locked on some article he was reading, “Hope everything comes out okay.”

Sliding out of the booth, he walked towards the back of the diner and slipped out the side door instead of heading towards the restrooms. He made his way around the front of the building, coming up behind the small figure lurking around the Impala.

“Who are you and why are you following us?”

She snapped around, looking up at him. “I- I’m a journalist. I write articles,” she stammered.

He took her by the arm, walking her to the diner, “You’re coming with me.”

She sighed, trying not to draw attention. _This was it._

He walked her to the booth where he and Sam had been enjoying their lunch. “Look who I found snooping around my baby.”

Sam looked up, surprised. “You!”


	4. Episode 4: Is It Paranoia If You're Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation forces Fi to open up to the Winchesters. But, even after hearing what she has to say, Dean is still suspicious that Fi is keeping something from them and he sets out to find out exactly what that is. When he goes snooping around to find out more about Fi, Dean finds something that may change everything.

She sighed, sitting down across from Sam and looking down at the table to avoid their eyes, “Please. I’ll explain. It’s not what you think-” She held her hands up in surrender.

Dean slipped in next to his brother, both of them wearing matching looks of annoyance. “So talk.”

“Why are you following us?”

She pushed her hair away from her face, finally looking up to meet their stares, “My name is Fi - _Fiona_. I’m a journalist.”

Sam raised an eyebrow, “A journalist? I mean, this isn’t exactly newsworthy, is it?”

Dean rolled his eyes, “We got that part, sweetheart.”

She shot him a defensive look, “I write human interest pieces - nothing big, just the ‘mysteries in the heartland’ type crap. And creepy sells - what better way to get hits online than to write about amateur ghost hunters who die chasing down Casper or the town with the most U.F.O. sightings or that town drunk who thinks he’s related to Bigfoot?”

Sam’s annoyed look faded and he looked over to Dean to see what he was going to do next. Her story seemed credible enough.

Dean still looked at her, suspicious of the story he was being fed. “You’re a writer? _For who_?”

She pulled out her phone, showing them her blog, “Look - I run a blog.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’ve been following us. Or why I found you snooping around my baby.”

She sighed, giving Dean a dirty look, “I told you - I’m not _following_ you. I go where my readers send me. If someone tells me there’s a haunted house that belonged to an axe murderer in Grand Rapids, I go check it out. If someone tells me to show up to some dump in Texas because there’s been weird deaths in town, I go. I’m not following you, I’m just looking for answers.”

“Yeah, right - you expect us to believe that? What about you sneaking around my car just now?”

“I thought you guys were following _me_. You guys have showed up in every town I’ve been to for the last couple weeks.”

He narrowed his eyes, “Yeah…”

She slammed her fist on the table, “I’m telling the truth!”

Dean leaned against the table, getting in her face, “Prove it.”

She scowled, “And just how am I supposed to do that?”

Sam sighed, pulling his brother back a little, “Dean.” He looked over at Fi, tilting his head sympathetically, “We believe you. And my jackass of a brother here is sorry he kind of abducted you.”

She slid out of the booth. “I assume I’m free to go, _agents_.”

They sighed, nodding.

She got herself together and headed back out.

Dean watched her walk out, waiting until the door closed behind her to turn back to Sam, “I still don’t trust her.”

Sam sighed, “Dean, you just assaulted a journalist. Let it go. She’s just a weirdo reporter.”

\--

Fi peeled out of the parking lot, her heart pounding in her chest. She headed straight for Maura’s, hoping the Winchesters would just stay away.

The yard still had a few police officers in front and crime scene technicians were taking pictures of everything.

She parked out front, rushing up to the front door.

An officer stopped her, “Sorry, miss. I can’t let you go up there.”

Maura came out when she heard the ruckus, wiping her face with a tissue. “ _Fi?_ ”

She smiled a little, “Sorry I’m late.”

The officer let Fi go when he saw Maura come out.

Maura smiled a little for the officer’s benefit, taking Fi’s arm and leading her out towards the street. When they were out of earshot, she pursed her lips and looked Fi in the eyes, “We really needed you earlier, Fi. Everything went so wrong.”

Fi frowned, “What happened? Why are all these cops here?”

“Darlene. She died.” She sniffled a little.

“Someone _died_? What happened?”

“We must’ve done something wrong. I don’t know what happened-”

\--

Sam sighed, “Will you just give it a rest? That Fiona girl is just a reporter who writes weird shit to get people to read her blog…”

Dean stopped pacing the motel room and looked over to where Sam was sitting, “You honestly think she told us the truth?”

“Why would she lie, Dean?” He looked up at his brother from behind his laptop, waiting for a good answer.

“I don’t know, because she’s a _stalker_! And because people _lie_!”

“I think you’re paranoid.”

Dean mumbled, “ _S’not paranoid if you’re right..._ ”

Sam shook his head, “ _Paranoid_.”

He grabbed his jacket and fished the keys out of his jeans’ pocket. “I’m gonna go gas up the car. Be ready to head out when I get back.”

\--

Fi smiled at Maura and the other ladies that were gathered around in the backyard. They looked exhausted from crying, their faces still red and puffy.

“We can do this. We can still do this.”

One of the women sneered, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders more, “And what happens when another of us dies? None of us want to die like Darlene did.”

The other women nodded, glaring at Fi, “Yeah!”

Fi’s cheeks turned a little pink and she looked down to avoid their eyes.

Maura shushed them, waving her arms to command attention. “Please. Let Fiona talk.”

The upset woman sighed, obviously fed up, “Fine. _Talk_.”

Taking a deep breath, Fi sighed. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. I just want some answers. That’s all I’m looking for. If you don’t want to help, I understand. You’re scared. I am too. But I need to do this.”

\--

Dean took his time going back to the motel room after gassing up, trying to sort out his thoughts. That girl had to be bad news. _What normal journalist would travel around to podunk towns looking for the local legends?_ He saw lights out of the corner of his eye and slowed down so he could look.

It appeared to be a small fire - probably in a fire pit - in the side yard of the home he was driving by. There were some people standing around the fire, but he couldn’t make out their faces. Until one of them turned and he saw it was Maura Hovdey.

“Son of a bitch.”

He slammed on the brakes right there in the middle of the street, pulling his phone out and dialing Sam.

“Dean?”

“Sammy, get your things together. Those little Stepford witches are back at it.”

“What? Where are you?”

“I was driving around. I saw them at some house not far from the scene of the crime. Now get your shit together, I’ll be there to pick you up in a few minutes.”

\--

Sam was standing outside the motel room, ready to go, when Dean pulled up. He opened the passenger door and slid inside.

“What happened?”

Before Sam got another word in, Dean headed back into town, obviously a man on a mission. “That prissy lady was back at it. She had her little PTA group meeting out at some house - probably one of the other witches.”

Sam frowned, “Didn’t their friend _just_ die? Why would they try _anything_ right now?”

“Beats me. All I know is we have to deal with this now.”

He sighed, leaning back in his seat. He hated witches.

\--

Fi and the other women frowned when they heard the screech of tires on the street outside.

Maura turned to see who was coming just in time to see Sam and Dean making their way around the corner.

Fi swallowed hard, remembering the encounter from earlier. _Busted._

Sam stopped in his tracks. “ _Fiona?_ ”

Dean slowed down and his eyes went wide when he noticed Fi in the middle of the coven. “ _You!_ You’re a part of this?”

She stood up. “I’m just here interviewing these women about what happened to them. What are you doing here?”

The other women looked up him, their expressions not happy in the least.

Sam smiled awkwardly, embarrassed, “Sorry for intruding.”

Dean just stood there, slack-jawed, until Sam elbowed him in the ribs. “Yeah. Yeah. We, uh - heh - we thought you were trying to summon something again.” He shrugged a little, walking backwards.

The women stared him down, watching as he slowly backed off.

Fi sighed, following them out to the front yard. “What were you even doing here?”

“We thought they were getting into something dangerous, we just wanted to check it out. We’re sorry,” Sam shrugged apologetically, looking down at her.

She huffed, “Well I don’t appreciate you guys hounding me.”

Sam nodded, “You’re right. We’re sorry.”

Dean walked out towards the Impala, muttering under his breath about how he didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her. He looked over his shoulder to see what was taking Sam so long and he was less than pleased by what he saw.

Sam was running his fingers through his hair, pushing it back as he looked down at the petite journalist. “I’m sorry about earlier too, Fiona.”

“Fi. Fiona makes me feel like I’m in trouble.”

He nodded, “Fi. I’m Sam. And you already know my brother is Dean.”

She nodded.

“D-do you wanna grab some coffee? I feel really bad about ruining your interview.”

She raised an eyebrow, “I still have some questions I need to ask them-”

He nodded, “Yeah. Right.”

“But I could stay in town a little longer and just talk to them tomorrow. Coffee sounds pretty good right now.” She smiled up at him. “My ride or yours?”

Sam looked over his shoulder just in time to see Dean pulling away in the Impala. “Well, the car is my brother’s and he is leaving me here. Great.”

She pulled her keys out of her purse. “Okay then. I drive.”

He smirked, following her to the Jeep.

\--

Dean drove around for a while, trying to figure out why Sam trusted this journalist so much when he had the sneaking suspicion she was lying to them about everything.

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. _He asked her out - on a date!_

His tantrum was interrupted by Fi’s Jeep driving past him at an intersection. They must not have noticed him or the car.

He sighed, turning down the same street they went down. He was going to figure out just what this girl was up to. He would prove to Sam that he wasn’t just being paranoid and that she was hiding something from them.

He tailed them, keeping a far enough distance to not draw any suspicion.

Then they turned at the next light, heading for a small cafe. Dean followed them, passing the cafe and parking down on the next block so Sam wouldn’t notice the Impala.

\--

Sam held the door for Fi, letting her go ahead of him. “Again, I’m really sorry about my brother. He’s kind of a dick.”

She smirked, looking up at him, “Kind of?”

He nodded, “Yeah, okay. He’s a dick. But it’s just because we’ve seen a lot and it never gets any easier when people start messing with things they don’t understand.”

They settled down at a table and pulled out the menus from the holder behind the napkins.

She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. “So you guys do this a lot? Drive around, poking around into supernatural things?”

He shrugged, flipping through the menu, “Yeah. I mean we’ve been doing it for years really. What got you into writing about it?”

She looked up, eyes wide, and stammered, “Oh well… you know. Just thought it was interesting… People eat it up and it pays bills.”

“So you don’t believe in it?”

\--

Dean walked up to Fi’s Jeep in the parking lot and looked in the back window to see if there was anything that could give him answers. He noticed the corner of a book sticking out from under the back seat.

That looked promising.

He dug his lockpick out of his jacket pocket and went to the driver’s side passenger door to go to work. He knelt down so people wouldn’t see him breaking in and started to jimmy the lock.

\--

“Wait so it was a what?”

Sam smirked, “A _nachzehrer_. It’s like some weird vampire thing from Germany.”

“ _Nachzehrer_. Never heard that one before.” She pulled her phone out to make note of this new creature. “And it killed itself?”

“Yeah, just pulled the trigger.”

She set her phone aside, looking up at him, “Did it say what it wanted? Did it say anything?”

Sam just shrugged, taking a drink from the beer he’d ordered. “Not really anything that made sense. Something about this being bigger than we thought.”

She nodded, “Do you think it had anything to do with those daevas?”

He set his beer down, “Hmm? I - I don’t know.”

Fi smiled a little, starting to slide out of the booth, “Will you excuse me?”

He nodded, “Of course. Anything you want me to get you if the waitress comes back while you’re gone?”

She shrugged, smiling, “Anything’s fine. Thanks.” She headed back to the restrooms.

\--

Dean finally got the lock picked and opened the door, leaning in and pulling the large book out from under the seat.

It had an ornately designed cover of something that looked like a dragon.

He opened it and his eyes started to scan the writing. It was some language he didn’t understand.

There were countless pages of what looked to be poems or hymns.

_It almost looked like a -_

\--

Sam and Fi walked out of the diner sometime around closing time. The staff looked downright glad to watch them leave.

Fi smiled, “Thank you for dinner, Sam. It was really nice.”

He nodded, “I just felt bad about my brother being such an ass. And it was really nice talking to you. Sometimes the only person I talk to is Dean and that can get old quick.”

“You guys live together?”

“Yeah. It’s a nice place though. We have our own library. You’d like it - a lot of articles about the supernatural.”

They got in the Jeep. “So where are you staying tonight?”

\--

Sam unlocked the door to the motel room, stepping inside to find Dean sitting in the middle of the room facing the door.

“Did I miss curfew?”

Dean crossed his arms over his chest. “Very funny, Sam. You have a good time with your little friend?”

Sam shrugged off his jacket. “I bought her food. That okay?”

“Depends. You like buying dinner for lying bitches?”

Sam looked up, glaring at his brother. “ _Dean._ ”

“I don’t trust her, Sammy.”

He was getting a little fed up of Dean’s paranoia, “Why? What has she done that’s so awful, Dean? Because last I checked, she was just some reporter doing a lot of the same stuff we do.”

“She _lies_ , Sam.”

Sam’s voice started getting louder, trying to get through Dean’s thick skull by volume alone, “When has she lied to us, Dean? You don’t even know the girl!”

Dean stood up and walked over to his duffel without a word. He pulled out the book he’d pilfered from Fi’s Jeep and tossed it onto the bed for Sam to see. His voice was low but Sam heard every word - “I told you she was a liar.”

Sam picked it up, opening it and leafing through the first few pages. “Is this-”

“A freakin’ spellbook, Sammy.” Sam felt his heart sink when Dean said that.

“She’s-”

“She’s a witch.”


	5. Episode 5: The Truth Will Set You Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters get tired of the lies Fi keeps feeding them and decide to take action. When they confront her, Fi is forced to come clean - this time she has to be 100% truthful with them. Sam and Dean must make a decision about whether or not they believe her and what that means for Fi.

Dean gave the handguns one last going-over, wiping them down and making sure they had been cleaned since the last time they’d been fired. They had to be in good working order, he didn’t want any jamming. He double- and triple-checked that the magazine and the backup magazine were both loaded and then slipped the 1911 into the waistband of his jeans. He held the Smith & Wesson up to his brother.

Sam shook his head, smoothing his hair back and pushing the gun back towards Dean. “I just have a feeling about this. I don’t think we need to go in there all OK Corral…”

“I don’t see how else it could possibly go. She’s a _witch,_ Sam. She’s been playing you the whole time and I don’t trust her.”

Sam sighed, not happy with his brother’s inability to trust Sam’s judgment and the strange crusade to gun down some poor girl. Witch or not, she deserved the chance to defend herself. “Can we just _try_ talking to her first?”

Dean set the Smith & Wesson down, looking up at him incredulously, “What _is_ it with you and this girl, Sam? You need to get laid? _Fine_ , pick up a girl at a bar. Not some scheming witch who’s probably been screwing with us for the past few weeks.”

Sam rolled his eyes, tired of his brother’s sass, “I just think there’s more to the story. Now will you promise me you’ll at least let her get her piece in before you try to blow her head off?”

“ _Fine_. But I don’t trust her.”

\--

She smiled, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she picked a bit of fuzz off her shirt, “I told you, I’ll come visit soon.”

The voice on the other end of the line sounded upset, and reasonably so. “What’s so important that you can’t visit now?”

“I’m helping a friend. She’s going through a really tough time right now and she needs someone to be with her.” She fell back onto the mattress, crossing one leg over the other and jiggling her foot in the air impatiently.

“I just miss you, Fi. I’m sorry if I’m overstepping. But we all really miss you.”

Her brows furrowed a little as she realized how much she missed them too and she sighed, “I know. I promise I’ll come home to see you guys soon. Give Mom a hug for me.”

“Yeah. Just take care of yourself.”

She smiled a little, “I always do.”

Just as she ended the call, a heavy boot kicked open her door and she screamed, covering her ears and curling up defensively.

The Winchesters were standing in her doorway.

“Sam? Dean?” She looked up, smiling shakily at them.

Dean raised his arm, aiming his pistol at her.

She ducked down, covering her head, “What are you doing?”

Sam forced his brother’s arm down, stepping between him and Fi. “Dean.”

He looked up at Sam, his eyes still bright with fire, “She-”

Sam pulled him back by the shoulder, “She needs to answer some questions. We don’t need to shoot her.”

Fi stood up, finally getting the nerve to face them, “What the hell is going on here?”

Sam turned to her, “I’m sorry, my brother-”

“Wants you to answer some questions,” Dean interjected, holding up the book of spells he’d been holding at his side and tossing it down to the floor.

Her eyes went wide when she realized what it was. “That’s mine!”

Dean looked to his brother, then back to Fi, a smug smile on his face, “Well that’s good enough for me…”

Sam’s arm shot out and held Dean back to keep him from shooting the girl right then and there. “Not for me.”

Fi knelt down and picked up the book of spells, running her fingers over the cover.

Dean’s whole body tensed and he lunged forward to try and keep her from opening it.

She held out her hands, holding the book up in surrender. “You don’t have to kill me. If I really wanted to hurt you, I could have done it and I haven’t yet, have I? Relax.”

Sam gave Dean a look, cocking his head smugly as if to say ‘told you so’.

Fi gave them both a stern look, “Could you please just come in and sit down? I promise. I’ll explain everything.”

Dean leaned up against the desk, crossing one leg in front of the other. “So… shoot. Tell us this big story of why we shouldn’t treat you like any other scum we come up against.”

She shot him a dirty look, not liking his sarcasm one bit. “The book belongs to my mother’s mother - my Grandma Kathleen. It’s her family’s book of spells. We, uh - we’re a long line of witches in the O’Shannon family.”

Sam walked over and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I pretty much grew up on the road. My mom’s a musician, so we lived out of a tour bus for quite a few years, traveling the nation and playing dumpy venues while my mom worked up to her big comeback. That’s when I started having run-ins with the supernatural...”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“When I was thirteen, angels told me I was the bone marrow match for a girl my family had just met. Now she’s healthy and married to my brother Jack.” She smiled wistfully, continuing her story, “I met a werewolf when I was fourteen. She was just a sweet girl who needed help understanding what was happening to her.”

Sam just stared at her, not even sure where to begin voicing the thoughts running through his head.

She shrugged, “And loads more, but that’s not really the point. Besides, my mom never liked me messing around with this stuff. I think it reminded her too much of my dad. He liked investigating the supernatural too, I think I got it from him.”

Dean and Sam gave each other knowing looks.

“Let me start at the beginning-” she sighed, sitting up straight. “My parents were rockstars. They even had a moderately successful band back in the late ‘70s and most of the ‘80s… The Phillips-Kane Band.”

Dean perked up a little, leaning off the wall. “Really? Rick and Molly Phillips? They’re your folks?”

Sam raised an eyebrow, looking over at his brother, “Seriously?” Dean had a bad habit of being a fanboy at inappropriate moments.

He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest like a pouty child, “They had some good songs. Just sayin’.”

Fi smiled a little, glad to have broken through somewhat with Dean.

\--

_Molly McQuinn was a free-spirited eighteen year old with the world at her feet. She was an up-and-coming folk singer who wanted to be the next Bonnie Tyler and, if the music charts were any clue, she was on her way._

_She adjusted the strap of the bag at her side, pulling it closer to her as she watched the band onstage. She rocked to and fro, her waist-length hair swaying behind her as she let the music take hold._

_The singer strummed his guitar and leaned into the microphone, singing in the most beautiful voice she had ever heard. His eyes scanned the crowd as he sang, smiling at throngs of his fans._

_For just a moment, she could have sworn their eyes locked and she smiled bashfully. She ducked her head, hoping he didn’t notice how beet red her face was._

**_She was in love with Rick Phillips._ **

\--

“Not to rush the story-telling, but what does this have to do with the book of spells?”

She sighed, blinking back some tears and trying to steady her voice. “When I was a baby, my father was killed…”

Dean nodded, looking over at Sam, “I remember that - it was on the news for a couple weeks. ‘Rockstar dies in car crash’.”

Fi pursed her lips, “For years, I believed it _was_ a car accident - that’s what my mom had always told us. But it wasn’t. He was dead before the car even crashed.”

Dean and Sam spoke in unison, “ _Just like with the daevas._ ”

She nodded. “And for almost my whole life I’ve been looking for answers. I just want to know what happened to my father. I’d been in contact with the men who died the same way as my father, hoping they could give me some answers and help me figure out what happened. But when they died, I knew I had to stick with it. I knew whatever my father knew, they must have found it out too.”

Dean stood up again. “But wait - how did you find any of this out? The ‘dead-before-the-crash’ stuff, I mean...”

She smiled a little, blinking back tears. She didn’t need to start bawling in front of two men she didn’t know all that well. “I’ve been at this for a very long time. When I was fourteen, I had a bit of a near-death experience.”

Sam’s brow furrowed and he leaned forward, his interest growing.

She sighed, holding the book against her chest protectively - almost like a shield, “I’d been staying with my Aunt Rachel - my father’s twin sister - in New York while my mom was working on PR stuff. Things at Aunt Rachel’s were weird - she kept writing these symbols I’d never seen before in her sleep. She told me they were an old code she used to use with my dad when they were kids. Messages from my dad.”

“Automatic writing?”

She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear, “The messages led us to a rooftop…”   
\--

_Fi stood on the rooftop, jiggling the handle and trying to get the door open. The cool air bit at her cheeks and nose._

_Aunt Rachel was on the other side of the door, trying to push the door open again, “Fi! Fiona!”_

_She felt her chest tighten. Something was behind her._

_The wall started to glow and the shadows poured out of the glowing void. They crept towards her and she cried out, hoping Jack or Aunt Melinda - **anyone** \- would save her._

_She ran, trying to get away from them._

**_“Who are you? Why are you doing this?”_ **

_They rushed towards her, flinging her over the edge of the rooftop._

_She gripped the edge of the building, dangling over the street. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she cried out for help. Each little breeze seemed like it would knock her clean off the side of the building._

_She could hear Jack and Aunt Melinda and she hoped they would get to her in time._

_Then she felt the hand on hers and suddenly she was safe on the rooftop again._

**_“Daddy?”_ **

_He smiled at her._

_“Is it really you?”_

_“Yes, baby, it’s me.” His voice was just the way she remembered - those little pockets of memory she held so dear._

\--

Fi tried her best to keep her composure.

Dean stood up straight, his face dead serious, “What happened?”

She wiped her eyes, “My dad - He saved me. He fought off those things. He promised they wouldn’t hurt me as long as he could still protect me.”

Sam looked over at his brother, whose face was grim and grey, and he knew what Dean was thinking.

\--

_Sam cried out, pinned to the wall, “No, don’t! Don’t!”_

_Dean was more than a little confused by the command but he held his fire, “What? Why?”_

_“Because I know who it is. I can see her now.”_

_Dean’s lip quivered a little as the figure before them slowly turned into Mary Winchester - looking every bit as beautiful as she did the last time he saw her, the night she died in the nursery. “Mom?”_

_She looked up at him, smiling softly, and his heart broke to hear her voice again after so many years. “Dean.” She made her way over to her other son, smiling lovingly at him, “Sam.” Her expression turned apologetic, “I’m sorry.”_

_Sam watched her walk away, looking confused, “For what?”_

_But Mary stared up at the ceiling with all the courage and authority of a mother, “ **You get out of my house. And let go of my son.** ”_

\--

Dean nodded, swallowing hard as he tried to shake the memories, “So - what about this magic book of grandma’s?”

She looked up, wiping her eyes and trying to compose herself, “Grandma Kathleen must’ve given it to Dad after he and my mom got married. My Aunt Melinda - my father’s younger sister - said he gave it to her for safe-keeping. That was right before he died.”

Sam looked over at her, “So you’ve spent over a decade trying to figure out what happened to your dad. why he died?”

She nodded.

He looked up at Dean, “Fi, excuse us. We have to go outside.” He got up and pulled Dean by his sleeve, heading outside and closing the broken door as best they could.

Fi sighed.

\--

“We gotta help her.” Sam stood outside the room, hands on his hips.

Dean sighed, “Sam, I get it. She pulled out a pretty heavy family history. But you really wanna just drop everything and pal around with her? You heard her - People die when they snoop too much into what happened to her dad.”

Sam pursed his lips, “ _Dean_. She needs help. You and I both know how shitty it feels not knowing what happened or why. The least we can do is help her find some answers, give her closure.”

Dean looked Sam in the eyes, “You really think she’s being upfront now?”

“I do.”

\--

Sam smiled, heading inside again. “Fi?”

She looked up. “Everything okay?”

Dean walked in behind Sam, smiling a little.

Sam nodded, walking up to her, “Dean and I were thinking… We know how it feels to spend years chasing answers you don’t think you’re ever going to find. If you want, we’re willing to help you out. Help you see this to the end, get some closure.”

She nodded hesitantly, “But can I trust that you guys aren’t going to cause trouble every step of the way? Don’t get me wrong, I know you guys know your way around this stuff but I just want to be sure that I don’t constantly have a target on my back. It really wouldn’t be a healthy working relationship.”

Sam looked to Dean, waiting for him to stay something. Dean walked up to Fi, extending a hand to bury the hatchet and apologize for his rash behavior, “I’m sorry for trying to shoot you earlier. Don’t have the best experience with witches.”

She took his hand, shaking it firmly, “Promise you aren’t going to try and kill me every week?” She smiled a little to let him know that she wasn’t upset and accepted his apology.

Dean nodded, giving a little smile back, “Yeah. Besides, you need help and it happens to be in our area of expertise. We have a lot of resources- it might help things pick up a little. That way, hopefully, you don’t spend the next thirty years hunting down these answers.”

She stood up, running her palms along her sweater nervously, “So where do we start?”

Sam smirked, “Well I think we need to get the hell outta town. That door is gonna cause some serious problems between you and the motel management.”

She frowned. _Great. What had she gotten herself into?_


	6. Episode 6: Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After bailing on the busted up motel room, the Winchesters and Fi head out on a cross-country road trip. They're headed out west to see Fi's Aunt, in the hopes that she has any information buried in her memories about Rick and his behavior right before the crash.

She sighed, “I think I have an idea of where to start.”

Sam cocked his head a little, “Where?”

“My Aunt Melinda. My dad gave her this book for a reason. Maybe she knows something. It’ll be a couple days’ drive, but I figure we can drive up to see what she has to say, get some leads from there.”

Dean shook his head, “Nope. Before we do anymore cross-country road-tripping, I am getting one good night of rest in my own damn bed. We’ve basically spent the last few weeks chasing you out of crappy motels.”

Fi’s eyebrow arched up as she side-eyed him, “You guys actually live somewhere?”

Both Winchesters looked back and forth from each other to Fi. Sam shrugged, “Yeah, sorta.”

“What’d you think?”

Fi shrugged a little, blushing, “I don’t know. Word on the Web is that you guys just kinda show up in towns that need you and ride off into the sunset afterwards. I guess I just figured you guys live out of motel rooms or your car.”

Dean let out a little huff, “Yeah. We tried that. Over twenty years of living out of a duffel bag gets old. We’ve got a home base up in Lebanon, Kansas. We’ll head up there, get some decent rest, and then we can go find your aunt.”

Fi nodded, sighing, “At least let me explain what’s going on, I don’t want to just leave without letting Maura know.”

“Call her from the road. This gonna get ugly fast when the manager shows up.”

She frowned and started gathering her things, dumping everything into her duffel. Dean helped her put the door back in a semi-presentable way and followed her out to the Jeep, which was parked a few spots away from the Impala, while Sam returned the key to the front office.

Dean leaned against the driver’s side of the Impala, waiting for Sam.

Sam walked up, brushing his hair out of his face before stuffing his hands back in his pockets.

Dean stood up, looking over at Fi, “You sure you’re good just following us?”

Fi nodded, “I’m fine. If it gets to be too much, I’ll call Sam.”

He shot a look over at his brother. Sam knew that look - _you gave her your number?_

Sam shrugged, walking around to his side of the Impala, “Let’s all just hit the road before it gets any later.”

Fi jumped up into the Jeep, giving them a little wave.

The Winchesters slid into the car in the perfect unison that comes from having done it thousands of times.

Dean turned the key, easing onto the accelerator and pulling out of the lot.

\--

Fi pulled out her phone once they were far enough out of town and dialed Maura’s number.

Maura picked up, sounding a little nervous, “Fi? Where are you? Are you okay?”

She smiled a little, making sure she wasn’t too far behind the Impala, “I’m fine. But I’m heading out of town. I think I’ve got some possible leads and I’m gonna go check those out.”

Maura’s voice sounded much more relieved once she heard Fi was okay, “Oh good. I thought those hunters had found you-”

“The hunters? Why would I have to worry about them?” Fi’s brow furrowed.

“They don’t understand us, Fi. They think we’re all the Wicked Witch of the West.”

She sighed, nodding a little, “Yeah. True. But I’m fine. If these leads don’t pan out, I’ll let you know. Thanks for trying to help me.”

“Of course. I’m sorry we couldn’t give you the answers you were looking for. I hope these new leads work out for you.”

She nodded, sighing, “Thanks, Maura.” **click**

\--

Fi smirked a little, looking at the very scary-looking power plant, “You guys aren’t serial killers, right?”

Sam chuckled, leading her down to the Men of Letters headquarters, “We’ve been accused of that more than I’d like to admit, but no.” He looked back over his shoulder at her, “So- Welcome to our home, I guess. You want the tour before I let you get settled?”

She looked around in amazement, walking around to try and get a better view of everything, “This is all yours?”

He shrugged, “Well it was the home base of the Men of Letters back in the ‘50s. They were into studying the supernatural, keeping notes on everything.” He gestured to the countless books and journals in the library as evidence. “We found it a couple years back, after we found out our grandfather was a Man of Letters before he died.” He shrugged, sighing and looking around, “It’s been really useful. We get a lot of good information.”

She turned around to look up at him, “This is great.”

He smiled a little, “You, uh - you want me to get you settled in one of the rooms? Then you can get comfortable and get some rest before we head out again.”

“That sounds great. I could use a hot shower.” She rubbed her neck. “Long cars rides’ll kill my spine.”

He led her to the bedrooms, showing her to an unoccupied room. “Here. It’s not much but there’s a bed and the shower’s down that way.”

She tossed her bag on the bed. “Where’s Dean?” She looked up at Sam, waiting for an answer.

“Sleeping Beauty went to bed pretty much the second he got down here.” He looked around, sighing, “I mean, I guess it makes sense. This place is a lot safer than some motel room in the middle of nowhere.”

She smiled a little, “Well thanks. I really appreciate this.”

He nodded. “No problem.”

\--

Dean walked into the library a few hours later, “Sammy?”

Sam lifted his head, “Hmm?” He smirked when he saw it was Dean, “Hey - you get your beauty sleep?”

Dean’s eyes narrowed, “Ha-ha. Jackass.” He walked over, looking over the books Sam had spread across the table, “Doing some light reading…”

Sam yawned a little into his hand, “Yeah I’ve just been looking at anything I could think of to see if I got any hits on what could’ve happened to Rick Phillips.”

He smiled, patting Sam’s back, “Go get some sleep. We’ll need everyone to drive if we wanna get anywhere fast.”

“I wanna figure this out, Dean.”

Dean sighed, “And we will. When you aren’t running on fumes and when Fi is down here so we can talk to her about it. Now go sleep for a couple hours.”

Sam relented, his shoulders sagging wearily, “Okay. Fine. We’ll pick this up later.”

His brother smiled and sent him off to bed, looking over the books on the table.

\--

Fi came down a little later, rubbing her eyes and tugging at her sweatshirt. She found Dean sitting at the table, leafing through the books spread all over the table. “Where’s Sam?”

Dean looked up, “Hey. Finally got him to go get some sleep. He was trying to figure out anything that might help you.”

She smiled a little, “He was?”

He nodded, flipping through some pages. “I’m not really seeing anything in these books though. I prefer to get my hands dirty though.” He turned his chair so he could look at her, “You mind talking?”

She pulled out a chair, sitting catty-corner from him with her hands folded on the tabletop, “Anything that might help. Shoot.”

He flashed a little smirk at her bluntness and then his face turned serious. “So, how old were you when your father died?”

“About eighteen months. It was right around the holidays.”

He nodded, sighing, “Sam and I - our mom died when we were pretty young too.”

She frowned a little, reaching out to him. “Was it-”

“A demon.”

\--

Dean was leaning against the back passenger window of Fi’s Jeep, looking every bit like a miserable child stuck in his carseat on a road trip that didn’t seem to have an end. “When are we getting there?”

Fi smiled, looking back in the rearview mirror, “We’re almost there. You sound like a five-year-old.”

Sam chuckled, “Dean _is_ a giant five-year-old.”

At that, Dean kicked the back of his brother’s seat. “Remind me why we couldn’t take my baby?”

“Because that thing gets like 3 miles to the gallon and we’re not rich?”

Dean snapped, “ _Hey_ , don’t talk that way about my baby.” He settled into the seat a little more, muttering under his breath, “Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

Fi looked over at them, smiling. “You guys remind me of me and my brother Jack.”

“I think the same could be said of any siblings.”

She nodded a little, smiling wistfully to herself, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Still, growing up it felt like Jack’s sole purpose in life was to get on my nerves or embarrass me at every chance.”

Dean sat up in his seat a little, “What’s he up to?”

“He’s off living that white picket fence life in Colorado. He wanted to be close to our mom. I just don’t get home to see them as often as they would want me to.”

Sam shrugged, smiling, “Maybe when this is all over you can see them more?”

She nodded, “That would be really nice.” There was a pause. “I don’t even know what I’m gonna do when this is over.”

Dean looked up at his brother and they nodded knowingly.

\--

The middle-aged woman ran out when the Jeep pulled into the driveway. “Fi!”

She smiled as she got out, hugging the woman tight, “Hey Aunt Melinda.”

Melinda wiggled and swayed as she hugged her, eventually pulling back, “It’s been forever.”

Fi’s cheeks started to turn a soft pink, “What - the twins’ college graduations right?”

Sam and Dean stepped around the front of the Jeep, waiting politely so as not to interrupt the family moment.

Melinda smiled, brushing a messy lock of hair away from her face, “And you two must be the friends Fi was talking about.” She held out a hand, “Melinda Campbell, I’m Fi’s aunt.”

Sam shook her hand, smiling, “Sam. This is my brother, Dean.”

Dean smiled and shook her hand when it was his turn, “Campbell, eh? Our mom’s family is Campbell.” He chuckled a little, “Maybe we’re kin.”

She smiled a little, “Huh. Maybe. You’ll have to ask my husband. Come inside, we’ll get you all settled.”

They followed her inside.

Melinda’s husband, Ron, was in the kitchen cooking dinner. He was hunched over the counter, rolling out some dough. He lifted his arm to slough off some sweat when he noticed them out of the corner of his eye. “Fi! It’s so good to see you.”

She smiled and went over to greet him, kissing his cheek, “It’s great to see you too.”

He avoided touching her with his hands, “Sorry, Don’t want to get flour all over your clothes.”

She nodded, “Uncle Ron, these are some friends of mine. I was hoping they could stay here while I’m in town, we’re working on something together.”

He looked over to Sam and Dean and smiled, “Oh- Hello. Forgive my manners.”

Sam smiled and waved, “It’s really nothing. I’m Sam and this is my brother, Dean.”

Melinda walked past them, kissing her husband on the cheek, “They said their mother’s a Campbell too.”

Sam elbowed Dean in the ribs.

He grunted at the strike and smiled a little, “I, uh - I don’t think we’re kin. Pretty sure all of our mom’s side is, uh, dead.”

Ron and Melinda looked up at the Winchesters, not sure of how to reply, and Fi shot the guys a dirty look before stepping in to change the subject.

“Aunt Melinda, can I talk to you?”

Melinda looked over to her niece, smiling, “Sure. Let me just get you guys some fresh towels and make sure you’re all settled in first. You can stay in Miranda’s old room, I know she won’t mind.” She turned to the Winchesters and smiled, “And will you be okay staying in the living room? We have air mattresses.”

Dean sighed a little and forced a smile, obviously thinking about the bed he’d left back in Kansas, and nodded, “That’ll be fine, thank you.”

She went to pull out the air mattresses and get them linens.

Fi followed close behind, “I wanted to talk to you about my dad.”

Melinda stopped dead in her tracks in the hallway, “Oh.”

Fi looked down, sighing, “I just- I have so many questions and you know Mom never wants to talk about it.”

The middle-aged woman turned around to face her niece, smiling a little. “I can’t imagine the kind of pain your mother is in when she thinks about Rick. He was my big brother but for her? He was her world. And you’re just like him.”

Fi blinked hard to try and keep from losing her composure, “Can we please just sit down and talk?”

Melinda nodded, leading her up to Miranda’s old room where they could have a moment of peace and quiet.

Fi sat down on the pale floral comforter, fidgeting with the ring on her thumb.

Melinda smiled, petting her hair. “What do you want to know, sweetheart?”

She sniffed a little, “I just - I want to know what happened. He’s my dad and I should want those answers. But sometimes-” She inhaled deeply, trying to calm down, “Sometimes I wonder why I should even care? I don’t even know him.”

Melinda held her close, petting her hair, “It’s gotta be hard for you, I know that. But he was your father and he loved you so very much.”

Fi took a deep breath, sitting up and wiping her face. _It was time to get serious._ “The book you gave me- the year we came to see you in the Scottish play, you said Daddy gave that to you. When?”

Melinda sighed, thinking back. “That must’ve been - May of 1988. It was right before your first birthday."

\--

_The doorbell rang and Melinda opened the door to find her brother standing on her doorstep, hands stuffed in his pockets._

_"Rick?"_

_He smiled up at her, adjusting the strap of the satchel on his shoulder. "Hey Mel-Mel."_

_She hugged him, "What are you doing here? Where're Molly and the kids? C'mon in."_

_He sighed, stepping inside, "They went down to San Francisco to see John. I can't stay long. I just- can you do something for me?"_

_She nodded, closing the door. "What's going on? What do you need?"_

_"I need you to keep something for me. Just for a little while."_

_She frowned. He looked stressed and worried, like something was eating at him. "Is it dangerous?"_

_He shook his head, "No. No, it's nothing like that. It's just something that Mol doesn't like having in the house."_

_She frowned._

_He pulled the book out of the satchel at his side. "It was from Molly's mom's family. Kathleen let me have it after Grandma Fiona passed. But Molly-"_

_"What?"_

_"Molly's been having nightmares and bad feelings ever since that book came home with me. I think putting some distance between the book and us will be good."_

\--

Fi pursed her lips. She’d never known that her mother was having such a bad reaction to the O’Shannon book of spells being around. It hadn’t been that way since the book came into Fi’s possession years ago.

Melinda smiled a little, squeezing Fi’s shoulder, “You okay, sweetheart?”

She looked up and nodded, “Oh, yeah. I guess I was just surprised that my mom was having so many problems with that book in our house. I never knew that.” She shrugged a little. “I guess I don’t really know a whole lot about my parents, huh?”

Melinda brushed some of Fi’s hair back, tucking it behind her ear, “A lot happened over a short period of time, Fi. Your mom- she had to do a lot of growing up to be strong enough to raise you and Jack the way she did after Rick died.”

Fi nodded a little, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. “D-do you know anything about where my dad was going when he died?”

The older woman sat up a little. “I talked to him on the phone, a fews days before the accident. He was looking forward to the holidays. Said he couldn’t wait to spend the holidays with you guys - no work, no distractions. Just family.”

\--

_Melinda rubbed her growing belly, smiling, “How are Fi and Jack?”_

_Rick chuckled, “Well I think it’s finally hit Jack that this baby sister thing is permanent. He’s a good boy though. And Fi - she’s smart as a whip. She’s trying to come up with full sentences now and forget trying to keep her in the stroller, she wants to explore everything.”_

_She chuckled, patting her belly as she felt the little kicks, “I can’t wait to see what these two have in store for me.”_

_“You’ll be a great mom, Mel-Mel.”_

_“Rick?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_She switched the phone to the other ear, sighing a little, “That book you gave me a few months back?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Why did you have it? I mean, it’s Molly’s family’s book, right?”_

_Rick nodded a little, sighing. “Can you hold on a minute?”_

_She nodded, “Of course.”_

_There was a bit of a scuffle and the click of a door closing. Rick came back on the line, “After Grandma Fiona died, Kathleen said I should take it. That I was more into this stuff than Molly or Sean.”_

_“So it was because of your love of the paranormal?”_

_“Yeah. I guess Molly must’ve told her mother. But I know it upsets Molly, so I try not to mention it much around her. She didn’t like my latest road trip to Manning. I was told a man who lived out that way could help. He gave me some pretty good information. I’m thinking I’ll take a drive soon, check this out.”_

\--

Fi frowned, “Did he say who he was going to talk to? Or who the man was in Manning?”

Melinda smiled a little, “He didn’t tell me who he was going to talk to. But I remember he said the man’s name was... Oh, what was it? Elkins? Elkins, yes. That was it.”

There was a knock at the door and Sam peeked inside. “Um, Ron says dinner is almost ready.”

Fi wiped her eyes, smiling a little, “Thanks.”

Melinda gave her hand a little squeeze, “I’ll go help him finish up. You let me know if there’s anything else you want to talk about, Fi. I’m always here for you.” She headed back out to the kitchen.

Sam waited in the doorway. “Everything okay?”

Fi nodded, “I think I got some answers. Do you know anything about a man named Elkins in Manning, Colorado?”

“Daniel Elkins?”

She shrugged, “Maybe.”

He shook his head, “Daniel Elkins died almost ten years ago - ripped apart by vampires.”

She frowned. Great, the one lead she’d had and it was a literal dead end. “My dad met with him a few days before he died.”

Sam walked her out to the kitchen, “He was a hunter, like Dean and me. We actually have something of his.”

Just as they got out to the dining room, the door opened and two women’s voices started rambling on unintelligibly.

Fi smirked a little, resting a hand on her hip, “Sam, Dean. Meet my cousins - Maggie and Miranda.”

The twins walked in and their voices just got louder. “Oh Fi, I can’t believe you’re here!” “It’s been forever! Are you staying with us?” “Are you working on a story here?”

The questions faded a little as they noticed Sam and Dean standing in their parents’ home as well. “Oh.” “Wow.” “I- I’m Miranda.” “I’m Maggie.”

The Winchesters smiled.

Miranda approached Fi, twirling a lock of hair, “Who are these guys?”

Fi practically grinned at how dumbstruck her cousins were at the sight of the Winchesters. “These are some friends I’m working with. They came with me because I needed your mom’s help with something.”

Ron smiled, bringing the steaming dishes to the table, “C’mon everyone, chow time.”

\--

Dean was woken up early the next morning by his phone ringing. He groaned, answering the call. “What?”

“Dean? Where are you?” It was Cas, and by the sound of it, the angel was worried.

He rubbed his eyes, “We’re finishing up something. What is it?”

“There’ve been several mysterious deaths over the past few days. In Lebanon, Kansas.”

He sat up, groaning. That inflatable mattress was nothing compared to his bed back in the bunker. “Okay, we’ll head back as soon as we can.” **click**

He reached over and slugged Sam in the arm to wake him up.

Sam sat up, grumbling, “ _The hell_ , Dean?”

“Cas said there’s something up back in Kansas. We gotta head home.”

He sighed, trying to smooth his hair down. “Okay, okay. Let’s get Fi and we’ll see about heading out - that way we get back as soon as we can.”

Fi walked over, coffee in hand, “Morning. You guys want some coffee?”

Dean cracked his back with a groan, “I’d love some.”

Sam sighed, “Yeah, coffee sounds great. We- we’re gonna have to head out soon. Dean just got some news that there’s something up back in Lebanon.”

She frowned, “ _What?_ That’s gonna take days. Unless-”

Dean raised an eyebrow, “Unless?”

“Well I have frequent flyer miles…”

\--

Fi looked over at Dean. “Is he going to be okay?”

He was gripping the armrests, white-knuckle tight, humming to himself and breathing heavily.

Sam smirked, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes to relax, “Yeah, Dean just really _really_ hates flying.”


	7. Episode 7: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Kansas, strange things are happening and the Winchesters and Fi can't believe their eyes. Urban legends and campfire tales are coming to life all around them. But who or what is behind this? A Trickster? Bricriu the spunkie?  
> [POSTED LATE; APOLOGIES, I HAD TECHNICAL ISSUES]

The car was parked at the far end of the lot, under the cover of a tree. The windows were fogged up and soft moans and grunts could be heard from inside the car.

The girl sat up, pushing her hair out of her face and trying to see out the windows. "Did you hear that?"

Her companion just kept kissing her neck and jaw, hoping to calm her down enough to continue. "Hey. It's okay. It was probably a raccoon or something."

"Dylan!" She pushed him away, huffing. "Why should I believe it's not one of those skeevy friends of yours?"

He sighed. "Fine. I'll go check it out. If it does end up being nothing, you owe me." He started pulling his shirt back on and buckling his jeans. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She sighed, "Be careful. Please."

He smiled, "Five minutes, tops. I'll be right back." He slipped out to investigate the noises, closing the door behind him to keep the cool night air out.

She curled up, wrapping her coat around her to try and stay warm until he came back.

The minutes ticked by. _Where was he?_

She wrapped her coat around herself more, shivering.

Suddenly the blaring sirens and flashing lights surrounded the car and she sat up with a start. _When did she fall asleep?_

The voice over the speaker ordered her out of the car and that she had to keep her hands visible. She followed orders, exiting the car with her hands raised and tears in her eyes. _What was going on?_

When she got out of the car, she found out what had the cops so aggressive.

 _Dylan_.

\--

Dean quickly made his way to the gold Lincoln Continental that was parked out in the lot, the color finally returning to his face.

Sam and Fi followed behind him, smirking at his misery. "You okay, Dean?"

He nodding, opening the front passenger door and sliding in next to Castiel.

Sam and Fi got in the backseat, buckling in.

The angel's brow furrowed and he looked back at Sam and Fi in the rearview mirror. "Is he okay?"

Fi chuckled, nudging Sam's side a little, "I don't think Dean is a fan of air travel."

Sam chuckled at his brother's expense.

"I said I'm fine!" Dean snapped, obviously annoyed and eager to get home where he would be far away from planes.

Castiel frowned a little, looking back at Sam and Fi again.

Sam realized his mistake, "Oh, sorry. Cas- this is Fi. She needs our help."He looked to Fi, "This is Cas. He's our friend."

Dean shot Sam a look. _Watch it._

"It's nice to meet you, Fi," Castiel said with a little smile, pulling away from the parking space and heading back towards the bunker.

\--

Dean came out of his room in a fresh change of clothes, trying to get the water out of his ear. "So what's this case Cas called us back for?"

Sam held up the laptop from where he was sitting at the table, where he'd already pulled up several news articles detailing what'd happened.

Fi read over his shoulder, narrowing her eyes in disbelief, "It looks like an urban legend come true."

"Really?" Dean pulled a chair out and sat next to Sam, trying to look over the articles. "Like 'Hook Man' level stuff?"

Sam shrugged and pushed his hair back, summarizing the case for him, "Kind of, I mean the night before last, a couple was parked in some empty lot and the guy got out to investigate some weird noises. Girlfriend said he never came back. She didn't even know he was dead until the squad cars pulled up to investigate the reports of a body in a tree."

Dean crossed his arms over his chest, lending back in his chair, "Huh."

Fi piped up, her voice very matter-of-fact, "It's 'The Boyfriend'. Boy and girl park in a secluded area, looking for a little alone-time. Boyfriend goes to investigate a noise, leaving the girl alone in the car. After a while she wonders where he's gone and gets out to look for him. That's when she finds him gutted and either hanging from the tree branches above the car or splayed out on the roof of the car."

Both Winchesters stared at her, surprised.

She looked at them, shrugging nonchalantly. "I minored in folklore in school."

Sam smiled a little, impressed by her unapologetic attitude. "Well let's go check this out- see what we're dealing with."

Dean looked over at Sam. "So where is this girl even staying?"

Fi pulled her phone out. _Missed call - Jack_. She hit ignore and opened her blog.

Sam scrolled through a few of the news articles to see what information it gave about the survivor's current status. "So it looks like she's being checked out at St. Joseph's."

She tapped away on her phone, posting a question to the connections she had online. _Anyone hear anything about a death in Lebanon, Kansas? Very similar to The Boyfriend legend. Anything like this happen before?_ She grabbed her purse, slipping her phone inside. "You guys have any other disguises? I don't know that big scary Feds are gonna be the best way to approach a traumatized teenager."

Sam nodded, smirking. "Don't worry. We've got this covered."

\--

Fi knocked on the door, taking a deep breath. "Miss Warren?"

The young girl was sitting in bed, sniffling. "Y-yeah?"

She smiled politely, "These social workers wanted to have a word with you."

The girl nodded and wiped her tears, trying not to look a wreck. "Will you stay with me?"

Fi smiled, leading Sam and Dean into the room and sitting at her bedside. "Of course."

Sam smiled, keeping his distance so as not to overwhelm her. "My name is Sam. This is Dean."

The girl smiled a little, her voice soft, "Misty."

Dean smiled and waved a little. "Hi Misty. You mind going over what happened?"

She frowned, "I should have gone to look for him. I should have made him take me home."

Sam gave her a sympathetic smile. "It does hurt to lose someone, especially violently like what happened to Dylan."

She looked up at him and saw the understanding in his eyes. That he knew what it was like. "Does it get easier? I- I can't stop seeing him like that every time I close my eyes."

He sighed and lowered his eyes, nodding a little, "It gets easier. But it still hurts sometimes."

Fi gave her a gentle pat on the arm, "Anything you can remember about what happened."

Misty nodded, letting out a noise that sounded half-sob, half-laugh, "Dylan didn't take it seriously. I was scared and he just wanted to prove it was nothing and that we could go back to fooling around."

Sam took note of it, looking up at her. "Can you describe the noise? Was it like an animal noise?"

She looked up at him, a little confused by the question. "I- I don't know... It was like some rustling and moving. I thought it was Dylan's stupid friends trying to get a peek." She wiped her eyes again. "That's why he went to investigate."

Fi's phone pinged and she fished it out of her purse.

She ignored the missed call from Jack and read the new message on her blog.

**< Unknown>.**

_A lot of legends are coming true in Kansas. Even The Clown Statue._

She frowned, handing Sam the phone.

He pursed his lips and stood up. "I'm sorry, Misty, could you excuse us for a minute?"

The girl nodded, looking lost and overwhelmed.

Sam took Dean and Fi, stepping out into the hallway.

Dean frowned, looking at them, "What is it?"

Fi showed him the message on her phone. "I think there's another case."

He quickly scanned the message. "Oh." He looked up at Sam, "Fi and I can take this one, you stay with Misty."

Sam nodded, turning back towards Misty's room, "Call me if you need backup."

Dean smirked, slipping his fake credentials into his pocket, "I think we can handle this. It's just a clown toy."

\--

Fi and Dean approached the Olsen home, where several officers were combing the grounds.

She stopped Dean in the driveway.

"What's up with Sam?"

"His fear of clowns? It's nothing - he just gets uncomfortable around Bozo the Clown."

She pursed her lips, giving him a glare. "Not that. What he was talking about with the girl."

Dean sighed, "Sam and I have lost a lot of people because of this lifestyle. I think you should talk to Sam if you want specific details though, that's not my story to tell."

She nodded, letting him go on down the walkway.

He flashed his badge at an officer and led Fi inside.

A young girl was there, wrapped in a blanket, with tears streaking her cheeks.

A couple was standing not. too far from her, holding their two young children close.

Dean flashed his badge again. "Do you mind if my associate and I ask you a few questions?"

Mr. Olsen nodded, keeping his arms around the children protectively. "Of course."

His wife cut in, her voice shaky and emotional, "We just called home to make sure Jenny was getting the kids to bed. I didn't want the kids staying up too late..."

The teenager, Jenny, added, "I'd just put the kids to bed and I noticed it in the corner of the room, just standing there."

"It?" Fi asked.

"It looked like a really demented-looking clown statue. Like the kind you see in scary movies. I couldn't believe the Olsens would have something like that for the kids so, when Mrs. Olsen called..."

The woman frowned, "I thought she was joking. I was really upset she was being so rude until-"

"It blinked. And I screamed. I just ran to the kids and grabbed them."

\--

Sam walked down to the library, where he found Fi and Dean going through some documents. "What'd you guys find?"

Fi looked up from her reading. "It's got to be some weird being. Like an imp or a-"

Dean closed the book he was reading with a resounding thud, looking up at Sam. "Or a trickster."

He just scowled back at his brother. "Gabriel's dead, Dean. We both saw that DVD."

"Oh c'mon. Like that jackass never faked his death before. This is right up his alley. Deadly practical jokes."

Sam huffed, cocking his head a little, "What lesson is there to learn from this? A teenaged couple and a yuppie family hardly sound like the type of dicks a trickster would want to get even with."

Dean deflated a little when the flaw was pointed out. "Yeah. I guess so."

Fi jumped in, adding, "I think I might have an idea. A spunkie."

Dean raised an eyebrow, turning to look at her, "A _what_?"

"A spunkie. A Will o' the Wisp."

Sam perked up a little, intrigued. "Will o' the Wisp? Like the fairy lights?"

She nodded, pushing her hair away from her face, "Yeah. I ran into one a few times when I was a kid. Bricriu. I've never seen him actually hurt someone but I can't imagine all spunkies are as merciful as he was."

"This sound like him?"

"Well, like I said, he never hurt anyone. But he definitely wouldn't pass up the chance to make scary stories come to life. Especially if he thought I'd come investigate."

Dean stood up, stretching and cracking his back. "So we know how to deal with tricksters and we know how to deal with fairies, this should really be an easy job once we find the damn thing."

Sam gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, cuz that's gonna be a walk in the park. How do you propose we find this thing?"

Fi stood between them, trying to keep them calm. "I think the first thing we need to do is try be figure out if there's any clues of who might be next on this thing's hit-list. Then we can get to them in time and catch this thing."

Her phone pinged. **No signal**.

"Excuse me."

\--

Fi walked around, trying to get a better signal so she could return Jack's calls and apologize for ignoring him. _C'mon! Stupid phone._

She grinned as the bars went to full power and dialed Jack. "Yes!"

She felt a tug on the back of her shirt and turned around to see a small child standing there, staring up at her.

"Help me?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear, "What?"

The little boy looked up, his voice quiet, "Help me?"

Sam called out to warn her as he ran towards her, "Get down!"

Before she could react, the little boy vanished into thin air and two strong arms grabbed her from behind.

She kicked and squirmed in an attempt to get away from whatever was holding her, her phone flying out of her hand. Then she noticed the knife. _Shit_.

Her captor held the knife close to the skin, whispering in a scratchy voice, "Be quiet."

Sam charged the man, armed with a freshly carved stake and some salt.

Dean was a few steps behind him, having heard the commotion.

Fi managed to tear herself from his grasp, the blade slicing into her shoulder. She ducked out of the way just in time to avoid Sam hitting her as well. She rolled out of the way before her attacker could try to hurt her again.

Sam kept the man's focus on him, goading him into a fight to give Fi the chance to escape.

Fi held her shoulder, watching in awe as Sam tackled and pinned her mystery attacker.

He pressed the point of the stake against the stranger's throat. "How did you find us?"

Dean kept an eye on the man, his hand on the gun at his waistband in case Sam needed backup. He made his way to Fi, helping her up.

The man's whole demeanor changed when he saw Dean and he murmured something under his breath.

Dean led Fi back into the bunker to get her stitched up.

\--

She hissed as he poured the disinfectant on her fresh stitches. "Jeez!"

"Hey, don't get shivved next time."

She scowled. "How was I supposed to know he'd find me here?"

Sam came in, sighing. "You okay?"

Dean smiled, taping a square of gauze over the stitches, "She'll be good as new."

She blushed, pushing her hair back. "Thanks, you guys." She looked up at Sam. "He said something to you, though. What was it?"

Sam shrugged, "Didn't really make sense. He said 'handsome' and I think he said 'blood clot'." He grimaced at that last part. He set her banged up phone on the table, "Rescued this for you."

Dean chuckled, taking this to be the perfect chance to tease his kid brother. "Did he call you a handsome blood clot? Gross."

But his brother was quicker and quipped back, a dead serious expression on his face, "He said it when he saw you. I think you're the handsome blood clot."

Fi shook her head, smirking, "He was calling you guys Handsome Boy and Blood Clot Boy."

Dean made a disgusted face at the names.

Fi ignored him and continued, "It's a pretty common folktale amongst Native American tribes of the Plains, actually. Two brothers whose father trained them to hunt evil to avenge the death of their mother. They eventually rid the country of all evil spirits and as a reward are allowed to ascend to heaven, the afterlife, whatever you want to call it."

Sam and Dean shared an uncomfortable look. Dean coughed into his fist. Sam's face tensed as he started thinking about the story.

"You guys okay?" She frowned a little.

They answered in unison, their voices flat and sounding somewhat resigned, "That's us."

"What?"

Sam turned to look at her, giving her a small smile, "That story. It's pretty much our lives up until now."

She frowned, but their body language told her it was a story for another time.

Dean sighed, burying his face in his hands, "Just please promise me I'm not Blood Clot Boy."


	8. Episode 8: Missouri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get another call from Missouri, asking them to come to Lawrence. When they get there, they learn Missouri has some information for Fiona.  
> LATE POSTING DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.

Fi opened her door, creeping down the hallway. She passed Dean's room, tip-toeing past his closed door so as not to disturb him. She paused when she came to Sam's open door, taking a deep breath. She reached up and knocked on the frame of the door, peeking inside.

He looked up from his reading, smiling a little when he noticed Fi in the doorway. "Hey, come on in." He set the book aside and stood up. "Is everything okay?"

She smiled, pushing her hair back from her face, "Yeah, yeah. Totally. I'm fine." She looked up at him, her voice turning serious, "Thank you for coming to save me tonight. I really owe you."

Sam shook his head, "It's nothing. I'm just glad you're okay."

She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, obviously thinking of something.

"Something else on your mind?" He couldn't help smirking a little.

She nodded, sighing with relief that he'd brought it up first. Then came the flood. "That girl, Misty. You really seemed to know what she's going through. I mean, you don't have to answer to me or anything. I'm just curious. I guess that's why I'm a journalist-"

Sam held her by the shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Relax."

She took in another deep breath, relaxing.

"Dean told you to ask me, didn't he?"

He was smiling a little.

 _Damn he's good_.

She nodded.

He sat down on the edge of his bed, looking down at his hands to gather his thoughts. "I know what that girl is going through. What it's like to lose someone so violently."

She sat beside him, nodding and thinking back to the conversation she had with Dean her first night here in the bunker. "Your mom?"

He let out a huff of a laugh, his eyes on the wall ahead of him, "Well, death seems to follow us. Or me at least."

She didn't push him, gently resting a hand on his shoulder and trusting him to continue when he was ready.

"I got out of hunting for a few years."

Fi smiled a little, thinking of her own brief experience in having a normal life.

Sam smiled sadly, completely wrapped up in his memories, "I went to Stanford, I was gonna go to law school. I had a good life, a home, Jess."

Fi kept quiet, in awe of the fact that this was possibly the happiest and saddest she had ever seen him.

"One night, Dean showed up at o- my apartment. He said our dad had gone off on a hunt and was now missing. So I went with him, telling Jess I'd be back before the weekend was over and I wouldn't miss my law school interview."

\--

_Sam walked up to their apartment late that night, unlocking the door and slipping inside. He sighed in relief. He was glad to be home, to be away from the life of dumpy motels and diner food._

_He smiled when he saw the plate waiting for him in the kitchen. He read over Jessica's note. **She was perfect.**_

_He took a cookie and headed towards their bedroom. He could hear the shower running and he smiled, thinking of curling up with Jessica once she came to bed. He walked up to the bed and flopped down onto the mattress, eyes closed._

**_drip. drip._ **

_That's when he opened his eyes and saw her._

_Jess. His Jess. Pinned to the ceiling. Her white nightgown soaked with blood._

**_"No!"_ **

\--

"I'm so sorry, Sam."

He looked over at her, smiling a little, "You know, this is the first time in a while that I've talked about what happened to Jess to anyone."

She smiled, taking his hand, "I'm sure Misty was glad to hear it gets easier. To know it wasn't just a social worker spouting platitudes."

He nodded, smiling a little. "I hope so. It's a tough road."

"I think Jessica would be proud of the man you've become. I've read what you and your brother do. You're heroes."

The corner of his mouth twitched up into a little smirk. "Thank you. But we're not heroes. We're too screwed up to be heroes. This is just all we're good at."

"Sam, you saved my life tonight. And Dean actually stitched me up about as well as any E.R. would. You two may be a little rough around the edges, but you're definitely heroes to a lot of people."

He nodded, shrugging a little. "Not as easy as it seems, especially when you're as big of a jinx as I am."

Fi cocked her head, giving him a look that clearly said she didn't believe him. " _You're_ jinxed? Jinxed how? Jinxed with a supermodel body?"

He chuckled a little, realizing how weird that must sound. "Would you believe I have atrocious luck with women?"

She shook her head, smiling. "Can't say I believe you, no."

"They tend to end up evil. Or dead. Or both."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, _come on_! You're exaggerating. It can't be that bad. _Every_ girl?"

Sam nodded a little, making a quick guesstimate in his head, "Upwards of eighty percent, yeah. Goes all the way back to my first kiss even."

Fi's eyes went wide at that. "Damn. The odds are stacked against you."

"Tell me about it."

Then her lips curled into a smile, nudging him with her whole body. "Sounds like you need someone to help improve your odds."

Sam scoffed, "Yeah, let me know what woman wants to gamble with those odds."

Dean cleared his throat noisily from where he stood in the doorway, a smile on his face. "I'd be careful if I were you, Fi. Kissing my brother could get you hit by a bus."

Sam looked up at his brother. 'Not amused' was practically engraved on his forehead.

Fi backed away and stood up, adjusting her shirt nervously.

The elder Winchester just flashed a smart-ass grin, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe. "Besides, Missouri called."

Sam stood up, looking over at Dean. "Missouri? What did she say?"

"She wants us to drop by tomorrow." He looked over at Fi, "You wanna come too?"

She shrugged, "Sure. But who's Missouri?"

\--

It was late when they got to Lawrence. They all walked up to the house quietly.

Dean knocked on the door, hoping they weren't going to bother Missouri so late.

The older woman poked her head out, looking up at him, "You're late." She opened the door, letting them inside and locking the door behind her. She wrapped her sweater around her more, muttering about the chilly weather.

He turned to her and shrugged a half-hearted apology, "There was traffic-" He stopped when he saw the look in her eyes, she was having none of his bull today.

"Don't you lie to me, Dean Winchester. I know you stopped to grab a bite to eat."

Sam and Fi snickered under their breath as they enjoyed Dean getting sassed by an old lady.

Missouri looked over when she heard them. "Oh, child."

Fi tensed, suddenly incredibly self-conscious. She watched as Missouri circled her.

Sam cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Sorry, this is-"

"Fiona Phillips. I know that."

Fi looked from Sam to Dean, more than a little creeped out and wondering how the woman she'd never met knew who she was.

Dean walked over to the couch, looking over at Missouri, "You know? How?"

Sam looked at Dean, pointing out his mistake, "Um, _psychic_."

Missouri smiled softly, hoping to ease their minds, "Fiona, honey, your energy is powerful. You've seen a lot, haven't you?"

Fi nodded, smiling a little as she corrected Missouri, "Fi, please. Not Fiona."

"Of course. C'mon, let's go bring some coffee out. Then we can get down to business."

Fi followed her into the kitchen, sensing there was no use in trying to go against Missouri's orders.

Dean flopped down on the couch as soon as the older woman was out of sight.

"Don't you dream of putting those dirty boots on my table!"

Fi chuckled, helping pull out coffee mugs. "So you're psychic?"

Missouri turned on the coffee pot, turning to face Fi. "Fi, I'm going to be straight with you. You have a lot of darkness around you. Following you. You need to be careful."

The younger woman pursed her lips. "Are you saying I'm in danger?"

"I'm saying you don't wanna end up like your daddy."

Fi dropped the mug in her hand. "Sorry!" She knelt to pick up the pieces while Missouri grabbed the broom.

Sam came in. "You okay?"

Missouri gave Fi a soft smile, patting her arm and sweeping up the ceramic splinters, "We'll talk more about it when the coffee's ready."

Fi nodded, giving Sam a little smile to show she was okay.

Sam helped them bring coffee out, handing Dean a mug and sitting on the other end of the same couch.

Fi took a mug, adding a spoon of sugar, and settled between Sam and Dean.

Missouri smiled, sitting across from them and stirring her coffee. "I remember your daddy."

Fi sat up, completely forgetting her coffee. "You knew my dad?"

The older woman nodded a little, "He heard about me from some other clients of mine. We'd spoken on the phone a few times, but never met."

Fi looked down at her coffee. _Was he coming to see Missouri that night?_

"Yes."

She jumped a little, mentally kicking herself for forgetting Missouri's abilities.

"He called me that night."

\--

_Rick pulled his coat tighter, watching his breath puff out in big white clouds. He slipped a few coins into the payphone and dialed._

**_ring. ring._ **

_He sighed, shivering a little._

_**click**. _

_"Missouri?"_

_She answered, "Rick? You alright?"_

_He looked over his shoulder, watching the cars fly past him on the highway. "I need to come see you. I found something big. I mean really big."_

_She frowned. "What is it?"_

_He paused as a couple walked out of the diner, passing right by the payphone he was at._

_"Rick, honey... you there?"_

_He waited until they got to their car and sighed, "I can't talk about it over the phone like this. But I'm coming to see you. I should be there by morning."_

_She pursed her lips, "You shouldn't be driving. It doesn't seem safe. I can come to you."_

_"I'm already on the road. Stopped to get some coffee-"_

_She cut him off, "You should be home with Molly and your babies. Go home, Rick, please."_

_"I gotta get back on the road, Missouri. I'll be there by morning."_

\--

Fi blinked back the tears. "He didn't make it."

Missouri shook her head slowly, frowning, "No. I'm sorry."

Dean piped up, "But you have no clue what he wanted to tell you?"

The older woman set her coffee aside, standing up to stretch her legs, "Now I never said that."

Fi watched Missouri pace the room with big eyes that were full of hope. "Did you find out something?"

The psychic smiled a little, looking down at Fi, "Your daddy got real mixed up in some dark energy. He was always looking for answers. I have to believe something extremely powerful thought Rick was onto something. And had to get him out of the way."

Sam sighed, seeing how much all of this was affecting Fi. "Have you ever tried to contact him, Missouri?"

She shook her head, "I didn't want to bring that up to Molly or the little ones. It was too much."

Fi sat up, a determined fire in her eyes, "What do you need?"

Missouri smiled a little, "I need something of his."

Fi slid the ring off of her thumb, handing it to Missouri. "This was his."

The moment the ring touched Missouri's hand, her knees buckled and the ring fell to the floor with her.

Sam and Dean jumped up off the couch to help her back up.

Fi frowned and picked her ring up off the floor, making sure to give Missouri plenty of room to breathe. She ran her thumb over the engravings anxiously.

_Whatever Missouri saw or felt couldn't be good._

The boys helped Missouri back to her chair.

She waved them off, sighing and looking up at Fi apologetically, "Oh, Fi. Honey, I'm so sorry."

Fi cocked her head, brow furrowed. _What now?_

"Your daddy..."

"Yes?" She didn't bother to hide the desperation in her voice.

"He's in Purgatory."


	9. Episode 9: Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still reeling from the news about her father, Fi decides she needs to stop avoiding her family.  
> Part One of Two-Part Midseason Finale.

"Purgatory?" Fi frowned. "My dad's in _Purgatory_?"

Missouri nodded solemnly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Her voice was calm and sad, not full of false sympathy like others might sound. "I'm sorry, honey. I wish I had better news for you."

Fi shook her head, looking up at Missouri and the Winchesters with a confused look on her face. It just didn’t make sense. "But - isn't Purgatory for like unbaptized babies?"

Sam and Dean shared a look, avoiding Fi’s eyes, and Dean pursed his lips a little, looking uncomfortable.

Sam sighed, settling down next to Fi to be truthful with her. "Well that's not exactly true. Purgatory is kinda like the afterlife for non-humans. When vamps and werewolves and other things like that die, they're screwed pretty much. Doomed to run around Purgatory."

She looked up at him, her eyes a little red as she she blinked back tears. "Why would my dad be _there_?" Her voice trembled slightly and she wasn't sure if it was from sheer grief or from the slowly bubbling anger at the situation.

Dean spoke up from where he stood behind Missouri, his voice flat and very matter-of-fact, "Humans can get dragged into Purgatory. We aren't meant to be there but, if the portal is open, you can be pulled in by anything."

Fi's phone started to ring. She wiped her eyes and sniffed a little, pulling her phone from her purse, "I- I need to answer this."

She stood up and walked out onto the porch, answering the call. "Jack?"

He sounded concerned, "Fi, what's going on? I've been trying to call you all day."

She pulled the phone from her ear and saw the list of missed calls. Some were Jack and others were from Rebecca.

She frowned, wrapping her arm around herself, "Sorry, I've been tracking down some leads. Is everything okay?"

"Mom's friend Rebecca called. She said there was something she needed to talk to us about. That it was important."

Her brows furrowed, "Rebecca called you? I wonder if she's okay..."

"I don't know. But when she called I was scared something had happened to you. You're always on the road, anything could happen."

She smiled a little as something came to mind, "Well how's this? I'll drive up to see you guys, I'll be there tomorrow morning."

"Really? You aren't too busy with your stories?" She could almost hear the smile on Jack's face.

She smiled, chuckling softly, "Yeah. I'll drive up there tonight. Be there by breakfast."

"Great. I'll tell Gabe. And I'll call mom. We've all really missed you."

Sam opened the door and peeked out to check on her.

She sighed, looking over her shoulder at him, "I miss you guys too, Jack. But I've gotta go. I need to get packed and ready to hit the road."

"Be careful. Call us if you run late."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

She hung up the phone and looked up at Sam, "I need to go home. To Colorado."

Sam nodded, trying to gauge if she was okay. "Is everything alright? I know Dean kinda laid it on pretty heavy."

She smiled a little and nodded, "I think I'll be okay. Do you think Dean would mind a road trip to Hope Springs? I think seeing my mom and Jack will help."

"Yeah. I'll go tell him."

\--

Fi cracked her back, trying to loosen up all the stiff knots from sitting in the car for so long.

Dean leaned against the Impala as he refilled the tank, grumbling under his breath about long road trips.

Sam scowled and tossed him a bag of chips, opening the passenger door, "Relax. We covered gas."

Fi slid into the backseat again. "I do appreciate this, Dean. Besides, my mom'll be there. Maybe you can get an autograph."

Dean replaced the nozzle and covered the tank again, mumbling something that sounded like "fine".

Sam smirked and settled into his seat,  looking back at Fi and mouthing "told you".

She leaned back in her seat, staring out the window as they headed back to the highway.

As they headed west, Dean drummed against the steering wheel along to one of his tapes.

Fi smiled, singing along under her breath.

Dean looked back at her for a second, "You like this kinda music?"

She shrugged a little, "Yeah, I mean my mom would play stuff like this. I've been hearing this my whole life."

Dean nodded in approval, jerking his thumb in Sam's direction. "This guy hates it."

Sam's brow furrowed and he fought back, "Hey I don't _hate_ it. I just think you haven't heard any songs written after, like, 1988."

"Have you heard any of the songs written after 1988? And that Bieber kid-" Dean shuddered as the name even passed his lips.

Fi chuckled, leaning forward to rest against the back of the front bench seat, "This almost reminds me of when mom first went back on the road."

Sam turned to look at her, "How was that? I mean you were living on the road way differently than we did as kids..."

She smiled, getting a little lost in her memories, "I actually kinda liked it. We got to see so much. And I would learn about all these creatures and these histories. Jack tolerated it, I think. He had Clu, the son of mom's manager Irene and the bus driver Ned, but it can get kinda lonely for a teenager on the road."

Sam nodded, knowing that feeling of isolation all too well. "Did he ever go to school or anything?"

She looked up, nodding, "Oh yeah, he finished high school through a distance learning program. He ended up going to college in Ohio to study business administration. He's helping mom now - keeping the E! True Hollywood Story people at bay."

\--

Sam looked over at Fi as he drove through the neighborhood, "This the place?"

She nodded, pointing to the curb, "Yeah. Just pull up right over there."

Dean called out from where he was lounging in the backseat, "Don't you scuff up my car!"

Sam rolled his eyes, looking back at Dean in the mirror, "I learned how to drive in this thing, Dean. Relax." He pulled to a nice stop and parked in front of the house.

Dean got out and stretched, cracking his back and yawning. "I hope there's gonna be some coffee, I am _dead_."

Fi smirked, grabbing their bags out of the back with Sam, "Don't worry. I told them we'd be over for breakfast."

She walked up to the door and rang the bell.

There was some shuffling behind the door and a man about Sam’s age opened it. He was wearing a raggedy tee that had no doubt been relegated to house clothes only and the bags under his eyes told Fi and the Winchesters that it had been an early morning. He shifted his footing a little as he opened the door wider, a blue-eyed four year old in firetruck pajamas on his hip. A smile broke out when he saw his sister, "Fi!" His face dropped a little as he noticed the two men on either side of her. "You uh, you didn't tell me you were bringing..."

She smiled, shrugging, "Sorry, they were my ride out here. This is Sam-" She gestured to Sam, who waved a little, "and Dean-" Dean flashed a little smile, trying not to look threatening. "Guys, this is my brother, Jack.” She smiled back at her brother, “They've been helping me with a project."

A young woman came up behind Jack, running her fingers through the boy's dark hair and taking him into her arms to relieve her husband.

Fi smiled and reached out to hug them, pushing past Jack and into the house, "It's good to see you, Gabe."

The little boy pouted and reached for her, "Fi!"

She chuckled and tickled his tummy, "And my favorite little man. You wanna meet my friends, Sam and Dean?"

Gabe smiled and looked up at Sam and Dean, "Come on in, guys. Any friends of Fi's are welcome."

Sam nodded, stepping inside, "Thank you. We appreciate it."

She smiled, "I'm Gabe. And of course that's my husband, Jack." Jack gave a little nod to the Winchesters and Gabe kissed her son's cheek, "And this big guy is Matthew."

Dean smiled, waving a little at him, "Hey Matthew. I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam."

Jack pulled Fi aside while Gabe and the Winchesters were preoccupied with Matthew, keeping his voice low. "So what is this?"

She looked up at him and shrugged, not wanting to start an argument, "They've been helping me on a project and I asked if they could give me a ride over here."

"Where's your car?"

She sighed, trying to explain herself without going too much into what was happening with their father’s case, "I left it with Aunt Melinda. I went to see her a while back and something came up so I had to leave on a red eye and the Jeep stayed at her house. If this is going to be a problem-"

Before Jack could say anything, Molly showed up at the door, her voice breaking as she called out to her youngest, "Fi!"

Fi turned and smiled, feeling a warmth spread in her chest, " _Mom_."

Molly pulled her into a tight hug, petting her hair, "It's so good to see you, baby."

Fi just relaxed into her mother's embrace, closing her eyes, "I missed you too, mom."

Matthew stretched and tried to reach for his grandmother, "Grandma!"

Gabe chuckled, setting him free to run to Molly. She stood back up and smiled at the Winchesters, "C'mon, I bet you guys could use some coffee."

Dean sighed happily, "Yes, thank you."

"Fi? Mom? Mind helping me get everything out for breakfast?"

Molly smiled, squeezing Matthew and pinching his cheeks, "Go on, Fi. I'll be right there."

Fi followed Gabe to the kitchen.

Gabe pulled out the coffee pot while Fi grabbed the mugs.

\--

Molly held onto Fi in another tight hug in the doorway. "Please come visit more. I missed you."

Fi smiled and squeezed her back, inhaling her mother's familiar warm scent to hold her over while they were apart, "I'll try, Mom."

They pulled apart and Fi chuckled, looking over her shoulder, "And thank you for the autographs for Dean. I can honestly say I’ve never seen him this happy."

Dean grinned like a kid on Christmas, still holding the autograph in his hand, "It was an honor to meet you, Mrs. Phillips. Thank you so much."

Molly just smiled and pat his arm, "Molly, please. And _really_ , it's just nice to know I have fans younger than the geriatric ward."

Sam shook her hand, smiling, "It was a pleasure, Molly."

She smiled, "You guys just keep helping my daughter. It's good to know she isn't alone out there."

Jack put a hand on her back, "C'mon, mom, I'll walk you out."

Gabe shifted Matthew from one hip to the other as Molly and Jack walked outside, "C'mon, Fi. Help me get Matthew down for a nap."

Fi smiled,  "Sure."

They headed down to his bedroom.

She rubbed his back as he curled up against her, shifting her weight from one side to the other in hopes of rocking him to sleep, "He was so excited when he heard you and Grandma were coming. Barely slept last night."

Fi chuckled, "Sorry about that." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"It's fine. Just glad you could come visit."

Fi watched as Matthew fell fast asleep, smiling a little, "You know, maybe I can convince the guys to stay a couple days. That way we have time to catch up."

Gabe smiled, giving Fi a good-nature elbow nudge, “That would be really nice. You know, I always thought you were seeing Ryan, but that Sam…”

Fi turned pink. “ _Gabe_.”

\--

Dean made his way to the backyard, hoping for a little fresh air. When he walked out onto the deck, though, he noticed Jack sitting there quietly and started to make his retreat back inside. "Sorry."

But Jack shook his head and gestured to the empty chair beside him, "It's fine. I just came out here to get some air."

Dean settled down, looking out at the yard, "This is a nice place. Thanks for letting us stay."

Jack nodded, sitting up in his seat, "You've been helping my sister. Thank you for keeping an eye on her."

"Not a problem. I'd want someone looking out for my family too."

Gabe poked her head out, "Can I get you guys anything?"

Dean shook his head, "No, thank you."

Jack smiled at her, "I'm good, honey, thanks."

She headed back inside.

Dean smiled a little as he tried to break the ice, "It must be nice to go from living on the road to this."

"Fi told you?"

Dean nodded, shrugging a little, "More or less."

"Yeah, well- life on the road is not as glamorous as Hollywood would have you believe. This is heaven."

Dean smirked, "Don't I know it. My brother and I grew up on the road in our dad's car."

Jack's eyes went wide, "That Chevy outside?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. That makes the bus sound like a mansion."

Dean chuckled, “Yeah. I’m just glad now we’ve got a place with real beds and a kitchen and we don’t have to live off of diner food.”

Jack smiled, relaxing a little more, “I hear you there.” He reached into his shirt, pulling out a guardian angel pendant and rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger. "I think the moment I met Gabe, I knew I wasn't going to be living on the road forever."

"When did you meet?"

"We broke down in front of her house while on tour." He smiled a little to himself. "As it turns out, it must've been some sort of divine intervention- Gabe was really sick. She needed a marrow transplant. Thank God Fi was a match."

Dean smiled, watching him fidget with the necklace, "She give you that?"

Jack nodded, looking down at it with a fond smile, "After that she was like my guardian angel while we were on the road."

"Always good to feel like there’s something watching out for you."

"I gotta say, I don't miss living on the road. Being away from her."

Dean sighed, "Yeah."

\--

Fi found Gabe in the kitchen, putting away dishes from breakfast. "Hey."

She looked up at Fi, smiling, "Hey."

“You need any help?”

Gabe handed her a dishcloth, “I’d appreciate it. Besides, now we can catch up some more.”

Fi took the cloth and started drying dishes and handing them to Gabe, “It feels really nice to be home. Work’s been… pretty tough lately.”

“Is that what’s been on your mind all day? Work?”

She looked up at her sister-in-law, “Is it that obvious?”

Gabe set down the plate in her hands, looking at Fi with a sad smile, “You just seemed really emotional when your mom was here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like that before. Is everything okay?”

Fi nodded, taking a deep breath, “I just… I ran into a story that was a lot like what happened to my dad and it’s got me thinking about him a lot more. Wanting answers, I guess.”

Sam walked into the room, apologizing when he realized he was interrupting something, “Oh, sorry. I was just looking for Dean. Have you seen him?”

Gabe smiled and nodded towards the backdoor, “He was outside talking to Jack. I’m sure they’re still out there, yammering on.”

Sam nodded and headed for the door, “Thanks. Sorry.”

Fi smiled as she watched him walk outside. “But that’s actually how I met Sam and Dean. They were working on the same case I was and we kinda figured it was just better to work with each other than to keep butting heads.”

Gabe smiled, giving Fi a look that said she only half believed that story, “What sort of work do they do?”

Realizing Gabe was smarter than she looked, Fi gave up the truth, “They hunt monsters. They’re kinda like my dad but they make sure the out-of-hand vampires and werewolves get dealt with. And I asked them to help me find out what happened to my dad.”

Gabe sighed, “Fi-”

“I know. It’s dangerous. _Believe me_ , I know. I’ve got the stitches to prove it.” She tried to smile at her own joke and lighten the mood but she just sighed, “We went to a psychic. Someone the guys really trust. And she said my dad is trapped.”

“Trapped?”

Fi licked her lip nervously, “That he was pulled into Purgatory as punishment for snooping around the way he did.”

“Purga-”

“I know. But it’s not just for unbaptized babies or for souls awaiting Judgment. Apparently run of the mill, everyday humans can get pulled into Purgatory.”

The older woman got quiet.

Fi frowned a little, “Gabe?”

She turned to Fi, her eyes sad but full of understanding, “So does Sam know about what you’re planning on doing?”

Fi shook her head, smiling a little, “No. I haven’t said anything yet. I just wanted to come see you guys first.”

Gabe looked over Fi’s shoulder and smiled a little, “I think he knows now.”

Fi turned and saw Sam standing a few feet away.

“Please tell me you don’t want to do something stupid.”

She pursed her lips, her jaw tightening slightly. “I want to find out what happened to my dad. The only way I know how to get straight answers is by finding my dad and asking him.”

“You know what happened, Fi. He found out something he wasn’t supposed to know and it got him killed and sent to Purgatory. What else is there to know?” His whole body was tight and tense and the anger and hurt was practically radiating throughout the kitchen.

She frowned, the corners of her vision blurring with tears, “I need to know what was so important that he had to die. What was so important that Jack and I couldn’t have a father growing up?”

Sam sighed and his shoulders relaxed, his body conceding defeat. “You need to talk to Dean. And you need to tell Jack.”

\--

Jack paced the room, looking angry and hurt and scared all at once.

Fi sat on the couch beside Gabe, who was holding her hand tight in support. “Jack, please. Can we just talk about this?”

“Can we- Do you realize how insane this sounds, Fiona? Pur- _Purgatory_?” He shook his head, “Even if I could believe any of this, I just don’t see how you would think this helps. Getting yourself killed like dad did. What a great legacy he left.”

Gabe frowned, “Jack-”

Fi looked down, avoiding his eyes, “I’m not going to get myself killed, Jack.”

“Do you realize what that would do to me? _To mom_?”

The tears started to burn her eyes and blur her vision again, “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to know what happened. All I’ve found keeps telling me I need to dig more, I need to find more to get my answers. That’s all I want, Jack. Answers.”

Dean stood up, getting between the siblings and getting right in Jack’s face, “Jack. I get that you’re pissed, man. I do.”

Jack looked at him, not believing him, “What do you know about any of this?”

“Siblings doing crazy shit is kinda the Winchester way. I get it, _believe me_. But let me talk to Fi.”

He looked over Dean’s shoulder, seeing Fi looking upset and scared on the couch.

Sam grabbed his shoulder, “C’mon, Jack. I think you and I need to have a word. I know a little bit more about what you’re going through than you’d think.”

\--

Dean handed Fi a beer as he leaned against the Impala’s trunk. “So you think you wanna go to Purgatory…”

She took the beer from him, scowling at his condescending tone, “I don’t _think_ , Dean. I know. I want to find answers.”

“No. You think you wanna go to Purgatory. Because if you knew half of what it was actually like there, you would never say you want to go.”

A wave of realization hit her and she looked up at him, “ _You_?”

He took a sip of his beer, leaving a long pause. He wasn’t even looking at her, just staring out at the sky, “I was stuck there for what felt like years and also like one never-ending day.”

She looked up at him, wanting to hear more.

“I was hoping if I just found Cas- If I could just find Cas and he was okay, we’d be okay. We’d get out of there alive.”

She frowned. “What happened?”

He didn’t seem to hear her, or if he did he wasn’t acknowledging it. Like he was stuck in some memory, reliving Purgatory in front of her.

\--

_Dean ran through the trees, trying to lessen the distance between himself and his target. His chest was burning and he was running on pure adrenaline but somehow he had never felt more alive._

_He stopped when he realized he wasn’t even sure if he was on the right trail anymore. He listened, trying to block out the thudding of his pulse in his ears. Where was this son-of-a-bitch?_

_Some rustling in the bushes sent him back on the hunt. He was going to catch this guy._

_There, in a small clearing, he found the guy. He had also stopped, whether to catch his breath or to orient himself better Dean did not know. Only that the guy was a sitting duck and prime for the taking._

_Dean charged the man, attacking him with the crudely made weapon that was his only means of self-defense._

_This surprise attack was not as smooth as Dean hoped as the man rolled Dean up and over him._

_Dean landed on the foliage-covered ground square on his back. He groaned, trying to keep an eye on his opponent._

_The man bared his teeth at Dean - large beast-like fangs that distorted his whole face. **Werewolf, great.**_

_Thinking quickly, Dean lifted his leg and hooked the toe of his boot behind the werewolf’s knee, knocking that side off-balance and sending him tumbling down. Jumping to his feet, Dean held the werewolf down with a boot to the chest, panting._

_“Where’s the angel?”_

_“Probably dead.”_

_Dean knelt down, digging his knee into the werewolf’s throat and playing with the blade in his hand, “ **Where is the angel?”**_

_The werewolf gurgled and choked, “I don’t know.”_

_Knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere this way, he brought the blade down through the werewolf’s throat, just above where his knee had the man pinned. Then he set to work dismembering it so there was no risk of retaliation._

\--

“I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. I don’t know how I survived, I just know I had to find Cas so we could get home to Sammy.”

Fi frowned. She hadn’t considered Purgatory in that light before.

“But I know what it’s like to need answers.”

She looked up at him, waiting to see if this meant what she thought he meant.

“I can’t say I’m thrilled by the idea. I know Sam and your brother aren’t. But this isn’t about them or me or anyone else. It’s about you and, if you need this, I’d rather you go knowing what you’re getting yourself into.”

She smiled a little, thankful he understood, “Thank you, Dean.”

He took the final swig of his beer. “Oh don’t thank me just yet. When we get back to Kansas, I am putting you through the training of your life. You want Purgatory? I’ll make sure you are damn ready.”

****  
  



	10. Episode 10: Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiona says her goodbyes as she and the Winchesters leave for Kansas. Once back at the bunker, the boys hit the books and Fi hits the gym as they try to figure out the best course of action. With all this going on, Fi finds herself overwhelmed by all the information the boys give her and begins to question whether or not she is making the right decision.  
> [PART TWO OF TWO-PART MIDSEASON CLIFFHANGER.  
> New updates resume March 4, 2015]

Fi headed back inside, leaving Dean to finish his beer, and went to look for her brother.

Jack was sitting on the couch, Gabe sitting beside him rubbing his back comfortingly.

Fi cleared her throat to get their attention.

Sam came up behind her and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up at him and he smiled softly.

"Give him a minute. He got a lot of information all at once. I think he needs a minute to process."

She nodded and took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest and looking up at him. "How are you doing with this?"

"Honestly? Racking my brain for any possible way I could convince you not to do this."

She scowled. "Sam, this is my choice. I have to find out what happened."

Sam sighed, his shoulders sagging a little, "I get that, I do-"

“I thought you and Dean wanted to help me.” Her tone was accusatory and more than a little guilt-tripping.

He nodded, avoiding her eyes, “And we do. I just- I don’t see how this will help. _If_ you go to Purgatory and you make it out alive - that a pretty big _if_ , Fi - what then? You knowing why your father got killed doesn’t change that he’s gone.”

She pursed her lips, looking him square in the eyes, “Because if whatever my dad died for can help one person - just one - then he won’t have died in vain and I can live with that.”

He nodded, raising his hands in surrender, “Okay. I won’t try to talk you out of it.”

She sighed, smiling wearily, “Thank you, Sam. I know this is big. Believe me. But I need to do this. I hope you understand that.”

“I do.”

\--

_“A wrestling match inside your noggin? I like the idea. Just you and me?”_

_Sam swallowed, watching Lucifer pace the floor mere feet in front of him._

_“One round, no tricks. You win, you jump in the hole. I win? Well-” A smile spread across the rotting meatsuit’s face and he shrugged with a cocky toss of his head, “Well, then **I win**.” The bastard was actually amused by the whole thing._

_Sam pursed his lips, his mind racing. This was it. Decision time._

_“What do you say, Sam? **A fiddle of gold against your soul says I’m better than you…** ” Lucifer sang tauntingly._

_Sam clenched his jaw, half-whispering to Dean. “So he knows - doesn’t change anything.”_

_Dean frowned, not liking where this was headed at all. “Sam-”_

_“We don’t have any other choice.”_

_“No!” Dean pleaded._

_Sam stared Lucifer down, knowing this was really it, “ **Yes.** ”_

\--

The next morning, breakfast was uncomfortably quiet in the Phillips house.

Jack barely spoke two words to his sister the entire time, focusing his attention on his plate to shut her out completely.

Sam and Dean shared an uncomfortable look across the table, but kept quiet. Siblings fight. It’s a law of nature.

Gabe gave her a sympathetic smile, trying to make up for the affection Jack seemed to be withholding.

Sam's phone went off and he excused himself to answer the call without disturbing anyone. "Uh, sorry."

Fi got up, taking the empty plates from the table so she could wash them. Anything to distract herself from the icy silence.

Jack looked up at her as she pulled his plate away and sighed, "Thanks."

She smiled a little, taking the plates to the sink. _Hopefully this meant he wouldn't hate her forever._

Gabe picked up Matthew from his booster seat and took him to the bathroom to wash up. She nuzzled his cheek and smiled, "Messy boy."

He just giggled and gave her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Dean smiled a little before turning his attention to Jack. "Hey, pal. You might wanna tone down the cold shoulder bit you have going on."

Jack stared him down, calling bullshit on the Dr. Phil attitude, "I'm sure you'd be so happy to hear Sam wanted to head off on some insane suicide mission."

Dean nodded, deciding to talk to him as equals - one big brother to another, "I've been there. More than once, actually. And you know what? Sam always comes back. Give Fi some credit. She's not an idiot. And I wouldn’t be saying this if I didn’t think she could pull it off."

Sam walked back into the room, sliding his phone into his pocket. "So that was Cas. I think we may have to cut this vacation short."

Dean gave Jack a look before getting up. "We should tell Fi. Say our goodbyes."

Jack nodded and stood up, Sam's hand and then Dean's. "You guys, you'll make sure she's okay?"

Sam flashed a little smile, nodding, "We'll do everything we can for her."

\--

When they got back to Lebanon, Sam and Cas went straight to work trying to dig up a way that Fi could be sent to Purgatory without it being as permanent as whatever had sent Rick Phillips there. Dean, on the other hand, decided to get started on the training regimen. She had to be in tip=top shape to even have a chance at surviving Purgatory.

Fi was asleep in the bed the Winchesters had made up for her, sleeping about as well as anyone would if they knew their days were numbered. But whatever rest she was getting was interrupted by the gentle but persistent pounding of a fist against her bedroom door.

“Rise and shine! Boot camp starts today, Phillips!”

She sat up with a start, eyes wide open, and fumbled to find her phone. She fished it out from under the blankets and stared down at the screen.

_5:30. Gross._

By 5:37, she was dressed and ready for whatever Dean had in store for her.

_Or so she thought._

She had barely made her way out into the hall when he came out of nowhere, it seemed, and pinned her to the wall. His right forearm pinned her by the neck, not enough to choke her but enough that she was uncomfortable.

“Not a good start.”

She stared up at him, still trying to process what the hell just happened. “What the hell?”

He let her go, taking a couple steps back. “You’re dead, Fi. You gotta stay sharp.”

She rubbed her neck a little, “Are you crazy? I just woke up.”

“Yeah well, you have to be on alert at all times. You let your guard down for even a second and you’re dead.”

She scowled, "Where's Sam?"

"Him and Cas are trying to figure out the best way to get you into Purgatory without causing too much trouble. Now c'mon, we've got a lot of work to do."

She groaned, following him down the hall.

"Now first we're gonna start with cardio. Get you good and speedy. You like running?"

She sneered, "No."

"Too bad, you gotta live with it. Keep away from anything that might be out to get you.She groaned, dragging her feet.

Dean started a light jog. "Keep up, we're gonna do some laps around the bunker to warm up."

The sinking feeling in her stomach told her maybe this training thing was a bad idea. " _Warm up?_ "

\--

Sam looked up from his laptop when Fi staggered over to the table, looking exhausted and half-dead. "Hey- how's training?"

She fanned herself with her sweat drenched shirt, trying to catch her breath.

He smirked, looking back down at the screen, "That well, huh?"

She licked her lips to get any sort of moisture, croaking out "I'm going to die."

Dean's voice called out from the other room, "Fi! You ready for your next lesson?"

She whimpered softly, looking up at Sam and mouthing 'save me'.

Sam chuckled, "I'll give you a bit of a break. You can help me with this-" He spun the laptop around to show her the results of his research. "H.P. Lovecraft opened a portal to Purgatory back in the '30s. I haven't found the exact ritual they used but it's an option."

She waited for more information.

Sam sighed, turning the computer back around to face him, "It does run the risk of letting more things out than just pulling you in."

She looked up at him, not very happy with that explanation, "I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. Who knows what could come out of the portal? Or how dangerous that could be."

Just then Dean walked into the room, looking over at Sam when he heard what Fi said.

Sam shared a look with Dean, sighing, "A lot of bad stuff."

Dean sighed, "Like Leviathan."

Fi frowned.

\--

After a couple weeks, waking up before the sun came out wasn’t as awful anymore.

In fact, Fi found that getting her training in early was starting to feel good - the rush of adrenaline and the surge of endorphins keeping her wired.

 _Was that how Dean survived Purgatory?_ She didn’t want to ask.

She walked out of her bedroom, listening for any hint that Dean was coming up. He had to be coming up to fight her.

The first few days he’d caught her completely by surprise, but now she knew what to listen for.

Those soft footfalls that barely registered as movement. The gentle exhales that she often mistook as just her imagination. There had to be something…

When she rounded the corner she was surprised to find Dean sitting at a table, cleaning his 1911 dutifully. Without a care in the world.

“What the-”

She was cut off by an arm wrapping around her middle and taking her down. Her head snapped around to see her assailant.

“Cas?”

He gave her a little shrug, but was back to attacking her within a split-second.

She grunted and tried to wriggle forward but he held her arms down. She struggled under him, out of breath and trying to gain some sort of leverage to shove him off.

Then, it hit her.

She threw her head back, hitting him square in the nose with the back of her skull.

He grunted a little, and that gave her the opportunity to toss him off her back and onto the floor.

He rolled off of her, landing beside her on his back.

She got to her knees quickly, knowing there wouldn’t be much time for her to handle him. She slipped the blade out of her sock and held it to his neck, miming the slashing of his throat.

Panting, she mentally gave herself a little pat on the back. But when she looked up, Dean was holding the unloaded 1911 right in front of her eyes.

“Gotta make sure whoever you fight doesn’t have a friend waiting to kick your ass.”

She frowned.

He slid the gun back into his waistband and held a hand out to her. “You did good though.”

She pulled herself up with his help. “Thanks. Still dead though.”

Cas stood up and brushed himself off, smiling a little at Fi, “You have a good teacher. You’ll get it.”

\--

Dean walked Fi down to the shooting range one morning after their warm up run.

Fi panted, leaning against the doorframe. “W- what are we doing today?”

He smirked, “I thought I’d give your knuckles a rest for today, Million Dollar Baby. Today, we work on your aim and your accuracy. You ever shoot a gun before?”

She shook her head, “Not really. Dated a guy who tried to take me hunting once, but it didn’t stick I guess.”

He chuckled a little, setting out a couple unloaded handguns and laying the magazines beside them. “Well it’s a little different when the target wants to kill you back. So let’s just start with the basics, okay? Just a .22. Nothing fancy. And probably a little easier on you than the 9-millimeter would be.”

She nodded and stepped forward.

“Okay so just pick it up and get a feel for the size and the weight. You can even test the trigger if you want, it’s empty.”

She held it in her hands, looking it over.

“Now hold it up with both hands and square your shoulders. We’ll get you comfortable with this before we try one-handed.”

\--

Fi walked out of the kitchen holding some ice to her cheek. She would be sporting quite the shiner soon as she hadn’t quite grasped some of Dean’s new blocking techniques and got a fist to the cheek for her troubles.

Sam looked up from his reading. “Hey there, Rocky. I take it training went well?”

Even with half her face covered by a pack of ice, the look on her face was pretty obvious.

He held his hands up, chuckling. “Okay. Okay. I did want to run through a few more rituals with you, though. If you don’t mind.”

She made her way over to the table and sat across from him, still holding the ice to her face. “Okay?”

He looked over his notes.

“There is the possibility that, with your family history, just killing you outright would be enough to send you to Purgatory.”

She cocked her head to one side, “Because I’m a witch?”

He cleared his throat a little, “Yeah. I mean it’s no guarantee, so I don’t really know if that’s something you wanna try.”

She leaned in, trying to read his notes, “Well what else is there?”

“Well, one time we had a problem with some dragons. They - uh, stole a virgin and -”

She set the ice down and smirked, “I’m gonna stop you right there. I can promise you, there are no virgins in this room.”

He chuckled, shaking his head, “Yeah, I- I can’t defend myself.”

\--

Fi looked at everything the Winchesters had out for the ritual. _This was really happening. No going back now._

Dean was in the other room with Castiel, making sure they had things ready no matter what happened.

After a few seconds her eyes stopped focusing on the room and she was left with her thoughts. _She could actually die._

_Molly would lose a child. Jack would lose his sister. Matthew would lose his aunt._

_She'd be no better than her father, dying for an obsession._

Sam sighed, making sure everything was ready. He turned to look at Fi. She looked pale and kinda sick. "You okay?"

She shook herself from her thoughts, "Huh? Yeah. I- I'm okay."

He pursed his lips, sighing and shaking his head a little, "You _sure_ this is what you want? We can figure something else out."

She smiled a little, trying not to look too upset by her thoughts, "We've talked about this, Sam. I have to do this. Wouldn't you do anything for your mother? Or for Jessica?"

Sam opened his mouth in protest but found he couldn't deny it. He nodded a little.  "Just- come back. A lot of people would miss you."

She sighed, "Hey Sam? Will you come with me for a sec- I need to you to do something before I go."

"Of course."

She led him to her bedroom.

Sam looked around and found the room seemed so sterile. It was unnerving.

All of Fi's personal effects were in a duffel at the foot of her bed. Her bed was stripped, the linens folded nicely and laid out on top of the pillows.

It was almost like she was already gone.

She pulled an envelope out of her bag and Sam knew what it was the moment her arm stretched out to him.

"I want you to give this to Jack and my mom if it looks like I'm not coming back. And tell them I'm sorry."

He frowned, taking the envelope. "I don't think I'm going to need to give it to them. But I'll hold it for you."

"Thank you." She looked down, trying to fight the awkward silence that was creeping in.

Sam held the envelope in his hands, running his fingers along the edges and turning it over to see that she sealed it. _This was actually happening. Fi was going to Purgatory and she might actually die._

Fi took this as her last chance. “Sam?”

He looked up from the envelope and, quicker than he had ever seen her move during training, Fi was on him. Her fingers touching his face and brushing over his hair. Her lips on his.

His hand moved to her back, holding her there.

She kissed him again, forceful and a little desperate, grabbing at the collar of his flannel shirt.

He slid a hand under her thigh, pulling her up so her legs could wrap around his hips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, grabbing at his hair.

He kissed her back and slid one hand up under the back of her shirt, pushing her against the bare wall.

\--

“Fi! Sammy!”

Fi sat up when she heard Dean yelling for her. “This is it.”

Sam nodded, letting his hand come to rest on her arm. “Are you ready? I mean really ready?”

She frowned and nodded, “I have to Sam. I’m sorry but this is what I’ve been looking for my whole life.”

He nodded, “Let’s go then.”

She got up, running a hand over her face, and started grabbing her clothes, trying to not look a mess as she put her clothes back on. Maybe Dean wouldn’t notice.

Sam followed her lead, pulling his shirt back on and grabbing his jeans, “Fi?”

She slipped her jeans on, turning back to look at him over her shoulder.

“Come back.”

She sighed, slipping her boots on. “Yeah.”

He held a hand out when they were both dressed.

She smiled a little and shook her head, “I’m good. I can do this.”

She looked down at herself, smoothing the wrinkled fabric of her jacket and taking inventory of how she looked.

Sam came over and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes, “Hey. You got everything?”

She smiled, “Yep.”

“Knives?”

She nodded down towards her boot, “One in each boot, one in my pocket and this one.” She held up the demon-killing knife.

“Good. Silver?”

“My dad’s ring. My studs, and I think Dean’s got a magazine of silver bullets waiting for me.”

He nodded, following her down to where Dean and Cas were ready with the ritual.

She paused in the doorway, taking a deep breath. No going back now.

Dean looked up at her, his brows a little furrowed, “You okay? Cuz it doesn’t have to go down like this.”

She nodded, putting on a brave face and hoping they wouldn’t notice that she was quaking in her boots, “I’m ready.”


	11. Episode 11: Purgatory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Purgatory is both everything Fiona expected and nothing she could have ever imagined. She puts her new skills to the test, hoping that she will find the answers she's looking for in the end.

Purgatory was both everything Fi was expecting and nothing like anything she would have ever imagined.

When she opened her eyes, all she could see was forest- full of gnarled trees and bare trees and thick scratchy patches of brush.

She looked around. "Sam? Dean?"

No answer. Just the wind blowing through the trees and the eerie silence that made her stomach queasy. 

This was it, she was really alone. In Purgatory. 

She swallowed her fears and started off in search of her father, even though she had no idea where to start looking. 

For what seemed like weeks, she spent her time hiding in the thick brush and trying to avoid any contact.

\--

She huddled up near some brush, trying to figure out any way to find her father. She didn't dare try any spells for fear someone might find her that way.

She knew that she had to move quickly and quietly if she wanted to find him without much trouble from any of the other residents of Purgatory. But that was easier said than done because it seemed like the place was crawling with anything and everything she could imagine, and as much as she appreciated the crash course training that Dean had put her through, she was in no hurry to use it. Not even the less violent forms.

\--

_Dean smiled, easing her into it by starting off the chant, “C’mon, let’s try that again. **Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus…** ”_

_Fi concentrated on remembering what the exorcism sounded like without peeking at her notes. Latin was never her strong suit in school and this was just proving it. “ **Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio, i-infernalis…** ”_

_Dean nudged her along. “ **Infernalis adversarii, omnis legio…** ”_

_She nodded, starting over, “ **Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio, infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte, et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te. Cessa…**?”_

_Dean chuckled to himself, impressed that she was picking it up so fast, “ **Cessa decipere humanas creaturas…** ”_

_“ **Cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare. Vade, Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt…** ”_

_Sam walked up, folding his arms over his chest and just observing it all silently._

_Fi looked over at Sam, smiling as she rattled off the end of the exorcism, “ **Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos.** ”_

_“Altogether now…”_

_“ **Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio, infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte, et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te. Cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare. Vade, Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt. Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos.** ”_

_Sam laughed, looking up at Dean, “She’s better than you, y'know. At least she knows it’s ‘audi nos’, unlike someone who says ‘adios’.”_

_Dean lovingly flashed a very specific finger at his brother._

\--

The cool air bit at her skin as she huddled behind a tree, trying to plan out her next move. _Where to go…_

She peeked around the left side of the tree, looking for any sign of an enemy. It was clear to the south. She turned to scope out the other side. Nothing.

 _Always keep moving._ Dean’s words were the only thing she was concentrated on at the moment, trying to do what he would have done.

She pulled her jacket tighter around her and ran down a steep hill, trying not to draw attention to herself.

A man jumped down from out of nowhere. He was tall, blond, baby-faced, and vaguely familiar.

 _Oh no._ “Brent?”

The corner of his mouth curled up in a little smirk, “Fiona Phillips. I never thought I’d see you, of all people, here. Then again - you are _very_ much your father’s daughter.”

He edged towards her, blocking her in between his body and the tree trunk. 

She frowned, trying to remember anything Dean might have told her that would help right now. Her fingers found the handle of the demon-killing knife the boys had loaned her for her own protection and she gripped it tight. _Hopefully this works on vampires._

She pulled it out and brought the blade down on his throat.

He chuckled as the blood dripped down the front of his shirt and grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm around.

She cried out in pain as she felt her wrist breaking.

Before anything else could happen, an odd-looking makeshift blade slashed through Brent’s throat, completely removing his head from his shoulders. The body crumpled to the dirt and the blade fell beside it.

Fi looked up at her hero and potential new enemy, trying not to look as terrified as she felt.

The man was large - not as tall as Sam or Dean, but solid and broad - and he sported a beard and a confused look on his face as he wiped the blood off of his blade.

When he spoke, it was a surprisingly gentle Cajun accent, “You best move along - ain’t gonna be too much longer ’fore this place is crawling with vamps.”

She swallowed hard and knelt down to pick up the blade, still watching her savior suspiciously.

The man chuckled to himself, obviously amused, “Where’d a little girl like you get a knife like that?”

She eyed him, not at all amused by the condescension, “Friends. Who are you?”

He smirked, tipping his hat politely, “Name’s Benny. Benny Lafitte. And you?”

She sized him up, “Why should I tell you who I am?”

He gave her a little smile, “Now I’m not trying to cause trouble. I’s just wondering what kinda girl you are to have a knife like that and not know what to do with it.”

She pursed her lips. “My name is Fi. And I do know.”

\--

_Dean walked into his room, with Fi at his heels. “Now, you’re gonna need to know a thing or two about killing if you plan on getting out of Purgatory. No one there wants to be your friend. They’d rather tear you apart. So-”_

_She raised an eyebrow, “So?”_

_He rolled his eyes, unzipping his duffel bag, “You kill them first. Now, I’m gonna give you some basics. The ‘Hunting for Dummies’ introduction, if you will.”_

_She perked up, watching as he removed weapons from the bag._

_He tossed a machete down on the bed. “Vampire. Cut his head off. No garlic, no stakes. Go for the head.”_

_She nodded, trying to file away that information and hoping it would be at the forefront of her mind instead of the pop culture lies about sunshine and garlic._

_He pulled out his 1911 and ejected the magazine. “Silver rounds, werewolf. Right in the heart. Not the arm, not the shoulder. Bullseye.” He pointed a finger towards his own heart to illustrate the point._

_She nodded again as he clicked the magazine back in and set it down beside the machete._

_He pulled out the Desert Eagle next, again ejecting the magazine to show her the rounds inside, “Now this bad boy has iron rounds in it today. This is pretty handy cuz it helps with a few things - ghosts, for one. And shtriga - it’s a life-sucky witch thing. You come up against that guy, wait til he’s feeding, then pop ‘im. Uhhh - keeps demons away, also keeps a phoenix trapped, slows down leprechauns… Really this is a good bet to have.”_

_She narrowed her eyes, “A leprechaun? Really?”_

_He feigned hurt that she wouldn’t believe him, “Yes really.” He pulled out the demon-killing knife, “And this. Kills demons. Like, kills them dead. Now it kills the meatsuit too, so that’s a downside. But when there’s no other way-”_

\--

Benny nodded a little, “And how, may I ask, did you get here?”

She looked up at him and, for some reason, she told him everything, “My friends. That gave me this knife. They know a lot about this stuff. It was a spell and now I’m here and - I honestly have no idea how I’m gonna get out but - I have to find my father. I have to know what happened.”

She sniffed a little, wiping her face and trying not to look like a sniffling child.

He gave her a minute to compose herself, “Well you definitely need someone to watch your back. You can’t go around here on your own.”

"Oh and you're just going to babysit me out of the goodness of your heart?"

Benny gave her a little smile, "Not babysit you, no. But you need help finding your Daddy, and I happen to know humans are a very rare sight here. So I'm thinking you're looking for the old man."

"O-old man?" She looked up at him.

"He hides out in the dark parts. Doesn't much care for anyone encroaching on his land but I think this is the best chance you have. He's been here for a while and, even if he isn't your Daddy, he's been here long enough that he'd know how to find him."

She blurted out, "Name- does he have a name?"

"That I don't know, chèr. But I can help you find him."

She pursed her lips, "Why would you do that?"

"Because your kind don't belong here."

\--

_Fi nursed her beer while Dean tended to the sprained ankle she'd earned in training. "So, how long were you there?"_

_He looked up at her as he finished wrapping her foot, " **Purgatory**?"_

_She nodded, figuring it was high time she asked the important questions. "Yeah."_

_He sat back and sighed, "A year. I was there a year."_

_She frowned, "A **year**? How did you make it?"_

_He clenched his jaw a little, staring at the far wall. "It was tough. Every minute fighting for my life cuz, God knows, I put half those sons of bitches down there. But looking for Cas kept me going and I actually had some help."_

_"Sam didn't go, did he?"_

_Dean shook his head, "No. A, uh - a vamp. Named Benny. He saved my ass down there and I owe him for it."_

\--

Fi looked at Benny's back as they trekked through the brush, the moment of realization hitting her like a Mack truck. "You're Dean's Benny. Aren't you?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at her, a little flicker in his eyes. "Dean?"

"Dean Winchester. You're the vampire who helped him find Cas and get out of here, aren't you?"

He smiled a little, "He told you?"

She nodded, shrugging, "Yeah. I kinda nagged him so he'd tell me everything he knew about this place."

Benny chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he continued walking, "He told you and you still came..."

"I have to find my father. I have to know what happened to him."

\--

_Sam couldn't help but feel a little bad for Fi as she held the ice pack to her face. "Training went well?"_

_She pulled the ice off her cheek, revealing the beginnings of a flattering black eye. "Yeah. It was fantastic."_

_He sighed, "You don't have to do this. We can figure out a different way.  You don't have to go to Purgatory, Fi."_

_She glared at him. "Sam. I need to do this. You should know why I need to do this."_

_"But what if there are no big answers? What if it isn't the meaningful bigger picture stuff you're hoping for?"_

_She looked down at the ice pack in her hands. "Then that's just something I have to live with."_

\--

Fi was shaking as she approached the old man's camp. This was it. She might actually find the answers she'd been looking for her whole life. 

Benny stood behind her, giving her enough space for privacy but staying close enough in case she needed anything. 

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

The only answer was the creak of the trees in the breeze.

"Hello?" She pulled her jacket around her tighter. 

"Baby?" That voice. 

"Daddy?"

A man emerged from the trees, his clothes ragged and worn and his face covered in a thick beard. He looked nothing like the few pictures Molly kept tucked away. 

But, even then, Fi remembered that voice and those eyes. "Daddy?"

He smiled and the corners of his eyes crinkled. "Hello, baby."

She felt the tears fall and she ran to him, holding onto him tightly. "I missed you. I missed you so much."

He pet her hair, kissing the top of her head. "I missed you too."

She sniffed, just holding him tight. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank the wonderful people on the So Weird forums on proboards. You guys have been a big help, making it easy for me to find the little tidbits of information that make this accurate.  
> Thanks to Jess (riverdancingcas) for helping me with bigger brainstorming and general arcs of storyline.  
> I hope you guys like this.


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